Not Alone
by QTXAdsy
Summary: Snow and Fang have their own problems to worry about. He has problems with Serah and she had her own for Vanille, so when they are brought to help out on each other's problems, what happens? SnowxFang and some sexual situations later on
1. Many Problems

**Hello lads and lassies! And now for something completely different. Out of all the FFXIII that I could think of, SnowxFang seems rather underrated if you ask me. I can understand the appeal of SnowxLight (Even if I'm not a fan of this pair) but SnowxFang does seem more appealing of the two when you think about it for a moment. Both seem rather cocky as hell, work quite well of each other and are just interesting to think about them as a pair. Of course Fang is involved in a lot of Yuri stuff, all of which I do get E.G. FangxVanille and FangxLightning (Even though that one does leave a bad spot on me, oh well.) **

**In many ways if you'd like to see Fang in a pair that is not Yuri related, this one might be the one for you I guess. Sadly, there isn't much on these two, hats of who do write about them. So to sum it up, I'm joining in to add more for Snang, or is it Faow? Don't ask me, both sound like cleaning products over at my house, hehe. I do apologise if they are OCC, both seem rather difficult to write in IC, the way i write is normally 'Getting-better-as-we-go-along'. **

**Just to sum it up, the story is slightly AU as Fang and Vanille did survive at the end of XIII, other from that, that's all. So go on and read then. **

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**Part 1**

**Many Problems**

In every tale ever told, when the hero saves the world and gets the girl, he's suppose to live happily ever after; in Snow's case, that didn't turn out to be true as such.

Sure he and the rest of the motley gang he was in had saved the world and Serah in the process, but even when he and his fiancée had their little moments with each other, something didn't feel right, and Serah felt it too. Just what was wrong?

Snow knew it wasn't another woman he was seeing, had he had, he would have faced the wrath of the two Farron sisters, possibly killing him in the progress. What ever it was, he tried asking Fang about his problems. Oddly enough, things between did seem rather calm. Of course, asking Fang for any advice was probably one of the last things anyone would of done with tribes' woman, still, any advice was better than nothing. He asked Sazh, Vanille and even Hope, none of which any of their advices seem to give him a solution.

Oddly enough, Fang seem to come out on top. Once again, there they were in Lebreau's bar that night discussing other than Snow's problems like other events and so forth. Lebreau had kindly allowed the two of them to stay in he bar after closing time.

"Do you think I'm worth it for Serah?" Snow asked Fang as she gulped down another drink.

"Well you spent most of the time on our mission saying that you were going to rescue her and be the big hero, don't tell me you forgot about it?"

"No, no! It's not like that," Snow pouted. "It's just…"

Fang looked at him raising an eyebrow. "Well…?"

"…Is Serah the right one for me?"

The tribes' woman found about he said surprising, most certainly not like Snow to say things quite low rather than his usual positive personality, yet as she would think, rather stupid persona.

Fang rubbed the back of her head thinking of what to say to Snow. "Well, my only guess is that things are still up in the air since what we went through, guess that's the _only _thing I can think of if that makes you feel better 'Mr. Hero'."

The large man didn't look at her and continued to stare in blank space pondering her words. His train of thought though was interrupted with the sound of Fang getting off her stool and heading out the bar.

"Wait! Where you going?" Asked Snow looking out to her.

"It's ten to eleven," replied Fang as she stopped to look at him and pointing to a clock on the wall. "Need to check on Vanille and see if she's fine, see you around then." And with that, left Snow alone in the bar to thing about his problems with Serah.

Speaking of Fang leaving so soon, Snow knew that she had been quite tense lately. The reason? Vanille had been struck with an illness of some sort and had ended up in hospital, and Fang was only wanting to make sure she was ok. Each of the gang had wanted to ask Fang as much information about Vanille of how she was doing and what had caused it.

Knowing how close the two women were, Snow had decided not to press on the subject and give her some space, oddly, he'd been the only to do so for her. Was this just for Fang's own benefit, or something else…?

Snow couldn't think about it. His memory was almost full he would say. But he did conclude that there was something about Fang that he couldn't put his finger on. She'd been the only one he felt comfortable with, she had gave him the information which he found suitable, it may have not been _completely _helpful, still any information is good enough.

With a final drink of whisky to drown out his thoughts, he left the bar and locked the door to the place (Lebreau had gave him the keys to her bar and had told him to lock it when he had had enough.)

Walking down the street heading for home, he couldn't help but notice how disserted the street was, not a soul in sight. Sure it was a beautiful starry night, but even that didn't help to brighten himself up.

The man who had so much thought of himself as a hero had problems of his own. What was he to do?

**XXX**

Arriving back at his and Serah's dinghy flat (they were to move out soon to a bungalow house nearby) he couldn't help but noticed how the flat seemed to be lacking something…

"Honey I'm home" He called out unenthusiastically. Cleary he wasn't in the best of moods.

Sure enough, his fiancée did call out, but all she said was a rather short 'hi'. Not even her seemed to be in the best of mood either. He did his normal routine of giving her the quick kiss on the check, but Snow could tell that Serah had something to say to him. Her face really said it all.

"Snow," she spoke sadly, "there's something I need to tell you…"

The blonde's thoughts picked up, had she got pregnant? What ever it was, something in the way she spoke told him that things weren't all going to seem rather good…

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**Alright, I know this chapter was short, will have longer ones in future. Please review if you want, any review no matter how good or bad is always a motivational thing for any fanfic writer.**


	2. The Lost Week

**Oh boy. Words cannot describe how much I _hate _this chapter. Now granted, every fanfiction writer will admit there is one chapter that they all hate, for me, it's this. As I wrote this, I knew that with what happens in the chapter that the characters will head into OOC territory, Whatever you do, try and ignore this, keeping characters IC is rather hard, Fang though I found is tricky to keep IC, mostly if it will come to sadness coming up. TBH, I'm cringing at this chapter, things WILL get better after this, just wanted to get this out of the way. **

**Also, I've renamed the story as I starting thinking that the title 'Maybe in Time' didn't sound right for some reason, so I switched it to 'Not Alone' as it sort of tells what will happen, christ that sounds cheap. Hehe...**

**If you want to help me out and Beta edit this chap then be my guest, You'll have to ask me first though if you want to do it. If you do then you may want to help me out with the rest of this fanfic, I do have a brief idea how the story flows through, just fleshing it out is always hard. Other from that, let's hope this chapter pays off... **

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**Part 2**

**The Lost Week**

The atmosphere in that flat hung in the air like a cold chill. Snow had no idea what was going to happen, but no matter how much he thought of any happy news that his fiancée might have for him, there was always a bad thought nestled within those thoughts. The large blonde man followed Serah into their small bedroom. When he saw a large suitcase and a bag pack on the bed, his blood went icy cold and his heart was on the verge of breaking into a thousand pieces.

"Snow, there is something I need to tell you," Serah said calmly to him, a _deadly _if Snow would think sure for himself.

"Y-You leaving…?" Snow asked, his voice slightly croaked.

The young pink hair woman looked at her with a solemn look on her face. She may have smiled many times, but when she didn't, always something wrong was nearby.

"…Yes."

Snow nearly fell to his knees when he heard that simple word. "W-What's happened?" Snow asked trying to make sense of why she was leaving him. "We c-could work it out, you'd need to tell Lightni—"

"I've already have," Serah interrupted. "I'm not saying that I hate you or anything, Snow."

"Then why you leaving?" Snow asked while at the same time trying to think of some inspiration.

Serah sighed sadly putting on her bag pack. "It was just that…with you being with NORA and coming in very late at night…" She paused looking slightly away from him. "I respect you have to do those duties with your gang, helping everyone out and—"

"I can quit though!" The blonde interrupted. "It doesn't have to be like this!"

"…I'm sorry Snow," Serah replied, now at this point taking the suitcase of the bed and walking towards the door. " It's your gang after all, they need you. We can still be friends after this; I just don't want to be in the way of your duties or be the one to be the one who made you lost your guard."

"You never were though."

Serah was on the verge of opening the door that led outside until she found herself lifted up in the air by Snow's arms pulling her into a tight embrace. The magic feeling between them whenever they were this close…had now gone. Her fiancée then give a soft kiss, Serah though didn't fight him off or anything or even kissed him back. When Snow finished the kiss, Serah's face was expressionless, reminding him so much of her older sister.

"Please be happy and find someone to love, don't worry about me, I'll find someone."

Snow would've pulled Serah back in or called her back as she opened the door and walked away with her back pack and suitcase in tow, but now that he was shell shocked, he could only watch her leave him behind. They say in every story, when a hero gets the girl that they live happily to the end of there days, well to Snow, whoever wrote that was probably soft in the head.

The flat that night was very different from how it always felt. It may have been a small flat that could house only one, yet when Serah moved it, it seem rather full, now it was empty. Any photos of him and his ex-fiancée had gone; her wonderful meals she would cook up for him would be no more. Snow went to bed that night as defeated man.

Was this how a Hero was rewarded? It would be a question that would linger on in Snow's head as he fell into a restless sleep.

**XXX**

Whenever Snow would meet up with his NORA buddies, he'd always give him a little prep talk saying of how things were going to go in their favor, what they heard from a shattered Snow was something they didn't expect in a million years.

His NORA comrades were all sorry for their leader's break with Serah, mostly by Lebreau, who had been the one who had played matchmaker to get Snow and Serah together and had a long friendship with the younger Farron sister. Hope and Sazh gave out their support for their dear friend when they heard the news from Lightning. As for her, she hadn't spoken to him yet. Snow now was starting to find it rather strange that she would've of been his sister in-law, now she was just another person that Snow once knew.

He just wanted to get rid of the memory of the Farron sisters to save him from depression. What happened to the once loud and so-called heroic Snow?

Once again that night, Snow found himself in Lebreau's bar again with Lebreau and Fang keeping him company as the bar was closed. The atmosphere in the bar was almost like they were thinking about a dear friend who had just passed away, Snow was binge drinking his way threw no his third glass of whiskey. Although Fang may never had shown being caring to others apart from Vanille, yet she could see that former comrade was in a awful state, the best she could do was try and comfort him the best she could.

"Vanille told me about the breakup, she gives her sorrows and stuff to you," Fang said.

Snow just grunted, it was hard to imagine this being _the _loud-mouthed Snow she had met not long ago.

"It's strange to think that you two were a madly in love pair that Lightning just hated hell out of you for being with her sister, now look at things now, eh?"

Fang rested her hand on his shoulder as Lebreau looked on cleaning out a glass. "How did this happen?" Snow asked dumbfounded. "I saved her, we saved the world, so what why did our relationship break apart?"

The exotic woman cursed herself under her breath of not being the best at these moments. She had to say something _good _at least other than telling him to move on. The time it took to say something to the tall blonde man might had been a gap of five seconds, yet to Fang, it must have been about a minute. She just hoped that what she said would be ok, if not…

"When you say that tale of saving the girl and living together with her, maybe that the forgot to mention that you do save her and that _another _person and the girl fall in love. What I mean is you do a great deed or whatever you call it for some other fellow out there, even if you do most of the work for him and he's a lazy git, he'll still thank you."

Snow thought about her words looking down at his now half filled glass of whiskey. Fang looked over to Lebreau biting her bottom lip while Lebreau had her fingers crossed behind her back.

"…So it's not all bad news then?" Snow finally answered looking over to the tribe's woman.

"If you see it that way I guess 'Mr. Hero'" replied Fang stroking a bit of her hair back. Had her rushed little sentence of words helped?

Her answer came when Snow gave the two ladies a small smile. Fang would of cheered in delight if the mood was more uplifting, yet kept remained calm giving a smile back at Snow. She noted that it did seem rather warm between them, though this little moment was interrupted by Lebreau's voice.

"Aren't you suppose to see your friend at this time what's her name…Van-Vanilla?"

"Vanille," Snow corrected.

Fang though was now rushing to the door, cursing her for forgetting about her dear friend. "She's gonna' kill me if she thinks I forgot about her!"

Fang then looked towards Snow, with a strangely comforting looking face, a high contrast to her normal sly and wild look. Did Snow feel like his breath seem to go away for a second? Though whatever he thought, he could only watch her perfect figure leave him in the bar as she took a brief sprint to the hospital.

"…She really is quite something you'd have to agree," Lebreau said to Snow, who slightly jumped when he heard her voice.

"Y-yeah, I guess," Snow replied rubbing the back of his head. "She could be a great member of NORA if she would like to."

Lebreau rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Of course, just so you can get to know her more."

Snow did nod, that was until he worked out what he was saying. "Not like that!" But Lebreau couldn't help but give out a small giggle.

"But you are right though, Snow. She would be great member of the team." She replied placing the cleaned glass up in a cupboard behind her.

"_Maybe, just maybe…"_ She thought…

**XXX**

Snow left the bar not long later and was on his way to his flat. He couldn't help but think about Fang's words in his head. Yet there was something about Fang that he still couldn't put his finger on…

**XXX**

Snow had a more peaceful sleep that night, though his golden slumbers were shattered with his phone ringing that morning. It had been ringing at such an unexpected time that Snow fell out of his bed. Groaning as he picked himself up off the floorboards, he went over to the phone. He hoped that it wasn't something about his insurance…

He was half way through uttering the word 'hello' when he heard a rather panicked stricken voice on the other end of the phone saying something very fast. Snow stood there surprised at what he heard on the phone.

"Hello?" He asked again, hoping for a clearer answer.

"_Snow! You must get down here to the hospital!" _came the voice at a frantic pace.

"…Fang?" Snow asked. This couldn't be her. She was always wild persona and always-confident voice in almost any situation. "What's the matter?"

"_It's Vanille, something is not right with her!" _

Snow didn't need anymore encouragement, with a strangled cry he ran into the bedroom, _his _bedroom now, grabbing a t-shirt, jeans and boots of the floor, quickly changing into them and taking off to the hospital to see what was going on with his former teammate and then thinking of seeing the whole gang back together…

**XXX**

The journey to the hospital was thankfully not far from where he lived and was easy to get by on foot for roundabout nine or ten minutes perhaps. Whenever one enters a hospital, they are soon rather worried of where to go incase they get lost, thankfully, this wasn't a big hospital being only two levels up so finding Fang would of not been a problem. After nearly running into a few patients (Poor them!) he finally found a rather worried looking Fang sitting outside of the ward which Vanille was in, though she was not alone…

Along with Fang were Lightning, Sazh, Hope and Serah were all they're, sitting around looking the same as Fang was. Hope and Sazh did give the brief nod or small 'hi' as he sat down beside Hope, only to be careful not to get near Serah or Lightning. Snow looked around at all of them. Hope seemed rather scared holding the seat of his chair, Sazh looked like he really needed a cigarette to try and calm himself down. Serah looked just a nervous as Hope, almost if she was awaiting her fate. Even Lightning seemed rather worried for their friend. But nothing looked more worried to the max than Fang. She couldn't even speak; Snow could understand how much those two had a strong relationship like sisters, close friends or maybe something else…

"How'd this happen?" Ask Hope looking at Fang.

Fang said nothing and only gave him a small look of displeasure. The poor boy immediately utters something like 'never mind' before lying back in his chair. The awkward silence in the room was unbearable; none of them knew what was going to happen to Vanille, all they did knew was something was up, and judging by Fang's frantic voice on the phone, it _certainly_ not all going well.

Such silence it was that they all nearly jumped when the door to Vanille's ward opened up with the doctor coming out. The doctor was quite a tall gruff man and a beefy built to him and had a rather neatly trimmed moustache. To the tall blonde, the looks of this doctor could have told him he was a villain of some sort, yet the doctor gave them all a sentimental look as the gang all held their breaths for the news he might bring.

"Last night," the doctor started, "her health took a turn for worse..."

Snow glanced over to Hope next to him, which he noticed that Hope was tightly grabbing the sides of his chair. (Surely the poor boy has seen enough of death from what happened with his mother.)

"…We tried all we could to save her…" The doctor breathed a sigh of sadness lowering his head. "…I'm sorry."

The blood in every person in the gang seemed to turn icy cold. Vanille…was dead.

Serah almost burst into tears with Lightning trying to comfort her, who also surpassingly seemed upset at the loss of Vanille, much to the surprise of the group who could see her quite a cold person.

Sazh looked around him trying to look for inspiration, clearly too shocked about the news. Hope's face was completely devoid of life as he lowered his head while holding back tears. Snow himself just didn't know what to do, something inside of him was telling him to freak out in shock, yet he just seemed that he couldn't.

But if anyway in that room felt the news hit them the hardest was unsurprisingly Fang. Snow noticed that her face was pale as anything while slightly shaking, Snow thought that she was about to be sick. She looked to numb to even give out tears.

"However," the doctor continued, with Fang glaring at him with murder in her eyes, she did knew that it wasn't his fault, yet a part of her stilled blamed the man for not doing something to save her dear friend in time.

"Vanille did write something for someone before she became too weak to do anything," The doctor said.

"Who for?" Asked a still shell shocked Hope.

Out from his one of the pockets in his white hospital overall, he pulled out a little piece of paper. "She said it is only for a person called 'Snow Villers', anyone here called that?"

All eyes turn to look at the tall blonde which he slightly raised his hand while uttering a small 'here'. The doctor handed the bit of paper over to Snow as he unfolded it. The first thing Snow notice was the rather neat hand writing, clearly this was Vanille's own handwriting as she had once helped him out when working out some problems with his insurance, then again that's another story.

Snow then began to read the letter and was startled at what he read.

_Snow, I need to ask you big favor, one for my own sake. As I write this, time is running out for me to live. You may already know Fang and me are like two inseparable parts, if one of us goes, the other will suffer for a loss. I need you keep Fang stable; I just know how'll she'll feel about me dying. _

_Be there for her, she'll need someone eventually in her life to take care of her, do that for me. If you do, I'll die knowing that Fang has somebody for her._

Snow was out of words for what to say. He had been given a task by Vanille to help Fang out. He couldn't understand what made her think that he had something in him to help Fang out. When they first met, Fang had always been more superior over him, probably the only point when he _wasn't _the hero he thought he was. Though lately on they did seem to work off well with each other, but other from that that was all. Nothing else.

The rest of the gang was looking at him with saddened faces, minus Fang who now had her head in her hands, on the verge of sobbing. Snow though could only look at the exotic woman and rub the back of his head with his hand wondering how the hell he was suppose to do this.

Later on, with Snow's breakup with Serah and Vanille's death, this week was infamously named by the gang as 'The Lost Week'. For Snow, Vanille had laid down the gauntlet course for him, one that he had no idea how he was going to get through this.

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**Thank god that chapter is over. I know it was pretty bad, let's look to the future look forward to better chapters coming on. It was a pretty depression chap you'll agree with a breakup and a death, things will pick up in the next chapter when the story will really take off and that our characters will (try!) to be kept IC. See you again hopefully, if you've not been put off by this part, ugh...**


	3. Starting Over

**Wow! A quick update! I'm really surprised that people are starting to warm up to this fanfic, I thank you all who has reviewed/favourite this fanfic, it really means something to the author. With this chapter, I found this MUCH more better than writing up the last chap, which I think is one of my worse, still this was a pretty fun one to write. And considering that I was accepted to start a course in NC Media Productions next year and also passed my Design Project, well, you can say that i was in a very good mood writing this, let's hope it doesn't ruin this part though.. **

**As I said in the last part, this is the part when the story takes off. The last two you can say were sort of prologue chapters. **

**Now as this is quite a underrated paring as i said before, I'm not expecting much attention, though if I do and people start writing up their own SnowxFang stuff. Wow, what have I done? Go ahead if you want to write up your own SxF fanfic, I'm only just suggesting it. Now off you go and read, hope you enjoy it, heh...**

**And if you ask me, I think the title of this part is rather fitting for Snow and Fang.**

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**Part 3**

**Starting Over**

Following the death of Vanille, the gang all wanted to know what had killed her. Strangely enough, her death was thanks to none other than that Gardener that Fang and Vanille had. Snow couldn't understand _why_ they needed a gardener, they only had a small back garden and hardly had any plants where the two close friends lived, yet whatever reason it could have been for, they had one.

One day, the Gardener had been round as usual to work in the Garden, first mistake being that he forgot to tell Fang and Vanille that he had arrived, the fool. To make matters worse, the chemicals the idiot was using to keep any termite creatures away from any of the bushes was extremely dangerous to any animal and even humans. After about three hours working in the garden, while sweating from the heat that day, it was time for his lunch break and dumped his gardening equipment back in his van while he went off to a nearby coffee store. Not long after he had left, Vanille came out of the house (she hadn't noticed that the Gardener had come as she had been watching a movie on the television.)

As it was a blistering hot day, Vanille had come out into the garden to catch a suntan, but before she settled down, she went over to eat a few blueberries in one of the bushes, ones that had the toxic chemicals in them. Now normally Vanille had done this many times before and had no side effects or whatever from the blueberries, yet little did she know that it would be her last time she'd eat from that bush. Once she ate them, she laid down a towel, put on a few lotions of sun cream and finally lay down on the towel to have a small nap.

Fang had been out that day shopping for various groceries and had expecting to see a sleeping Vanille trying to catch some rays of sunshine as she had told her earlier that day, yet she failed to notice the Gardener's van nearby which was parked on the opposite side of the street. When she came round into the back garden she expected Vanille to be enjoying herself, maybe give her a little fright to wake her up, she didn't though expect to see her sitting up with one hand holding her head up, Fang thought at first she must have had a sore head from being out in the sun for too long. Yet the younger girl's bloodshot eyes and ill looking face told her that something was certainly not right.

"Hey Vanille," Fang asked kneeling down beside her. "Are you ok?"

Vanille's answer was her coughing up something very hard that she covered with her hand, then she starting to vomit blood up onto the grass. In what seemed like a split second to Fang grabbed her mobile phone and franticly called up for an ambulance to come there fast as possible.

Fortunately, the ambulance came about five minutes later, which Fang literally chucked her younger friend into the ambulance and slightly threaten the slightly stunned ambulance driver and co-doctor there to make sure Vanille would be ok or else there would be hell to pay.

It was nothing sort of a miracle that Vanille's health slightly improved over a few days which she could talk to Fang whenever she came to visit her, yet despite this, her death would was only ever creeping up to Vanille despite the doctors best efforts. When the gang found out what had caused her death, they could only agree with Fang that the idiotic Gardener had to go. The Gardener was of course banned from coming again with literally life threats from the gang, hardly ever feeling welcomed even when Lightning literally pulled out her Gunblade on him, which she had made a quick trip to get it from her home. Even Sazh's pet Chocobo was displeased with the man as it started pecking mercilessly on the man's skin as he tried to get into his van and get away from them.

For the rest of the gang, it was thankfully the last time they ever saw of the man.

**XXX**

A few days later after Vanille's death, a Gran Pulse type funeral service was done with Snow, Fang, Hope, Lightning, Serah, Sazh and Snow's buddies from NORA turning up for the service. With overcast skies and a gloomy mood between them, it was anything but a happy day. The funeral took place just on the outskirts of New Bodhum, and everyone else seem rather puzzled of Fang's ways of holding a Gran Pulse Style funeral. It was quite similar to funerals back on Cocoon, yet the only difference being that Vanille's body was wrapped round in white clothe and buried her with a wooden totem type item like a gravestone with Vanille's full name written on it in the style of the Gran Pulsain Alphabet. They were all saddened by Vanille's death, even Lightning gave out a few rare words of comfort to them.

After the funeral, they all went back to Fang's home, which they spent there for most of the day having melancholy talks with each other not only about Vanille, but other matters that was going on. As the day went on, the invited guests left one-by-one. All of them expect for a certain tall blonde.

Even as night fell, Snow did all he could to keep her company as he sat with her on her couch. Snow could feel Vanille looking down on him making sure that he would take good care of her. The leader of NORA however had never done anything like this before and he felt somewhat intimidated at the thought that Fang had always had some sort of patronizing over him, now she was hardly the person who he thought was actually _that _Fang. Still, he had to do something to try and comfort her.

"We had some great memories back then," Fang said sadly remember the old days to Snow. "One that I remember mostly when we were kids of how Vanille would roll down the bloody hill nearly every single day."

Snow gave a small yet brief smile when Fang said this. He seemed to be gaining a strange warm feeling inside of him being this close to Fang, a feeling that he seemed to be rather secretly enjoying. "Any more memories?"

Fang suddenly then smiled a bit, seemingly remembering something. "There is one funny memory that's stuck with since I was about six."

Snow looked over to Fang, which she turned to look at him as well. Snow could only started to see how beautiful she looked when she was calm like this, though he of course wouldn't admit it to her.

"Well as young kids, me and Vanille would get up to all sorts of crazy adventures," Fang began. "Most of which ended in some sort of disaster you can say, even when we did found ourselves in one, Vanille would all find it very funny while I worried for our own sakes, probably the only when she was quite a pain in ass you can say."

Snow chuckled a bit; Fang did have a witty sense of words at times.

"The one misadventure that sticks out for me is when we sneaked off to see a family of Chocobos." Fang then stroked a bit of hair before continuing. "We looked at this pair all round this big one which I think was their mother."

"What happened then?" Asked Snow.

"Well we were looking down at them from up this tree down on 'em being silent as hell, then stupidly Vanille starts throwing rocks over at this pond just over those Chocobos, probably brought them up with her, and well…yeah, you guessed it.

"Let me guess," Snow interrupted, smiling at the thought. "Vanille by accident hits one of them and they took chase after you."

Fang rolled her eyes. "Bang on the dot," she replied. "It was the big mother one she hit to make matters worse, and judging by the look on that Chocobo's face, it didn't look too happy. So yeah, we buggered off from there."

The two of them suddenly have a small laugh together; it may have not been a big one or even a melancholy laugh, yet seeing her smile was better than nothing. Snow only hoped that Vanille was happy of how things were doing with them.

The rest of the night, Snow watched a late night movie with Fang about some spy adventure film. It was such a great feeling Snow thought of being with her, was it just that he was glad that she was starting to feel better, or was it something else that he must have felt for the exotic woman? Whatever it was, that didn't matter at that moment. Though as the film went on, the two of them started to feel rather bored and sleepy with it as got past the two-hour mark (not to mention is was a rather boring one.) Snow suddenly dropped off and fell asleep on the couch, he knew that Fang was on the verge of sleeping but she would head off to bed, still, it was a rather comfortable leather couch…

**XXX**

A few rays of sunshine woke up Snow the very next morning; his black funeral clothes were all creased out, oh well. First thing he did noticed that he had fallen asleep on Fang's couch and that her television was on, giving out the morning news which they had forgot to turn off (just imagine the bill for that!) It was no short of a miracle that Fang hadn't thrown him out the house and onto the streets when he fell asleep in her house. Snow ought to apologize for sleeping in without Fang's permission. As he prompts himself up on his elbows, he was surprise to feel something warm beside him. Looking down at what it was, he almost gasped that Fang had fallen asleep on the couch, with _him! _

He would've started running out of the house and back to his own apartment, yet he had to admire how wonderful she looked while she slept, the rays of sunshine coming in on her gave her a goddess look to her. He then started to slowly touch her skin and slightly stroking his hand on her, feeling rather soft and tender. He did however snapped himself out of his thoughts when he noticed her starting to awake. Fearing for his own life, he quickly got off the sofa and made a dash for the front door, which he promptly tripped up just as he opened the front door. Quickly closing the door behind him quietly, he ran down out of the street and onward back to his apartment.

To him, it felt like he had cheated death and if he had stayed there for anymore longer, Fang would have mostly likely killed him, still, it was something he could show off to his NORA comrades.

If Vanille could see though how scared he looked when he left the house, she would of most likely laughed her ass off how the so-called 'hero' thought he could take on some of the world's most dangerous beasts, yet it was only a woman that nearly scared him shitless.

Snow then wondered if he really deserved that title.

* * *

**Oh, Snow you dirty git. Sleeping with Fang eh? A lucky sod if I say so myself. Anyways that's yer lot for now. From this point onwards, neither Lightning, Hope, Serah and Sazh will make an appearance in the story (maybe a mention at least), their place is taking over by the NORA gang! Let's face it, I, as well many others, wished that NORA had a bit more screen time, so with the main XIII characters out of the way, let's give the underdogs some space! Review please and tell me what you think, it always makes me motivated if someone likes this and keeps me going. **


	4. The Fireman and the X92

**Hello again fellow readers out there! Now before we go into the next chapter of this fanfic (a bigger chapter thankfully!) I do have a few things to say about this chapter. I do have a love/hate relationship with this part as what you'll see in the following part is mostly what I had in mind with the story getting to be a hell of a ride story, so writing it was fun to do, planing it all out, well...**

**As this is one of the first (or _the _first) SxF fics here on , I had a bit of a dilemma planing this out (which was the cause of this part being slightly delayed.) Should I had gone and did a 'back-to-basics' type paring story or should I up the factor with this fic? Well, with everyone making rather complex fanfics these days, I guess the second option was a no brainer to use. So my advice to any writers out there is simple, always plan out the story before you start writing all out, don't go with the 'making-it-up-as-we-go-along' idea, it could cause the downfall of a story. Planning is _always _important, that's the only advice I can give you.**

**Now little word of warning here is that this the first time I've wrote either of the gang members of NORA so they might be slightly or VERY OOC, maybe by the end of the fanfic they'll all be IC. And in this part we meet a OC, who for once you'll be please about is not a Gary-sue and takes a backseat in the story. So off you go and read away!**

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**Part 4**

**The Fireman and the X-92**

_A cold silence filled the president's office room that night in the Presidential building in 'New Palumpolum', with the President, named Nigel Greasly, and the Minister of Defense were sitting around a table too shocked to know what had happened in the day's events. The events that took place that day seemed to far fetch to believe it actually happened by any sane person in the world who thought about it. "…And no trace of 'Skybreaker' thirteen were found at that location?" Ask the young, slimly build president, still stunned of what had happened. _

"_Not a trace or piece of wreckage, Mr. President." Replied the older Minster of Defense man named Paul Fowler. _

_The President sank back into his chair trying to make sense of it all. It all happened when at first 'Skybreaker thirteen', one of the largest airships in the Guardian Corps Air force, went missing over the vast great Pulsian Ocean. With the shocked news of the disappearance of the Skybreaker, the news was covered up to insure that the situation would be under control that the pubic wound not panic over it._

_Finding both this mammoth airship were critical as they it contained a large powerful bomb named 'Risco', which was an untested weapon and had the potential to cause a colossal amount of damage to a area about which could have been half the size of all Gran Pulse, and the Skybreaker was only taking the bomb to it's new location in 'New Bodhum' to be decommissioned since it weren't going to be used again now that all of Cocoon citizens now lived on Gran Pulse. _

_If two Skybreakers were captured and the two giant bombs were in the custody of someone or some force even, whoever had it could potentially destroy all of Gran Pulse. The air force had to get them back. _

"…_And why can't we send any more troops from the Guardian Corps to retrieved the Skybreaker back?" Asked Nigel to Paul. _

"_Well we can't send anymore troops or Airships out there," answered Paul. "The families of the love ones are asking for more questions where they are, all of this has to be classified to make sure it doesn't get out of hand." _

_The older man paused for a moment thinking about the next flyby with the Skybreaker's sister ship. "Skybreaker two is carrying the bomb 'Solance' to where 'Risco' was suppose to go, we will need a group to help keep that Skybreaker from disappearing like its sister." _

"_So your asking for a secret group to find our Airship and possible find the crew from Skybreaker Thirteen?" Replied Nigel, looking all the more interested in the idea of it. "But why can't the next flyby with the next Skybreaker head in a alternative route?" _

"_Well of course, all the class do that," Paul agreed with the President. "They've all gone all over the Pulsian Ocean with no problems at all, class mate 'Thirteen' was far north at the time before the SOS came. When they went missing, the Skybreaker was twenty miles south of its original flight path." _

_The President sank back into his chair scratching his head puzzled by it all. "…It doesn't make any sense why we loose a perfect craft." He then sat up when he remembered Paul's plan. "What do you propose to help out this secretive operation?" _

"_We do have one group on our list," Answered Paul, "though they may be a small one, they could possible pull this off, only if they keep this mission classified to the general public."_

"_Do they have a name?" _

"_They do," the older man then brought out thick files of documents from his suitcase by his side. "They call themselves 'NORA' we believe." _

_The President rubbed his chin thoughtfully; looked liked any help was going to do. "And why should we use this group?" _

"_Ahh you see, sir," The older man stated, "one of the members of the group was involved in the l'Cie incident." _

_Just as the Minister of Defense hoped, the young president's eyes widened slightly. But then the younger man's face turned to one of thoughtfulness thinking about the idea carefully. "Do they have any flight vehicles to help guard Skybreaker Two?" _

_Paul could almost feel his thumbs twiddling with each other under thinking of what to say to Nigel. "Not really sir." The President let out a sigh of discomfort. "But we do have another source to help them out which we have already been in contact with." _

"_Who?" asked Nigel leaning in closer to hear what Paul had to say. _

"_We don't know his name though," Paul explained, "but he is a hired pilot that has been involved with, dare I say it, many private missions with various sources back on Cocoon, they call this person 'The Fireman'…I do confess saying that this person and NORA can help on this mission." _

_Then he held his breath when the President looked at him, thinking about it. Though Paul had thought this through, he wasn't one hundred percent sure about it knowing as he had never worked with either with them, now his reputation was on the line. It took Nigel about five minutes to make his choice, which he spent looking out of his window thinking about it. Then he looked at the older man, he had made his decision. Paul could only hope that he would be given the green light to contact NORA and 'The Fireman'. _

"_Paul…" spoke the president, which seemed like an age, Paul now had his fingers crossed under the desk. "…I give you the go ahead for this 'NORA' and that Pilot to take on the mission." _

_Paul felt himself give out a sigh of relive. "…But they must not fail," The president added. "If they do, the world will be left in a dangerous state thanks to your choice to take this mission on." Paul felt himself fill up with a sense of queasiness taking over him as he gave the President his fond farewell and left the office with his suitcase. _

"If they do, the world will be left in a dangerous state thanks to your choice to take this mission on."

_He could feel the words in his head nearly over and over again as he left the room, now all he needed to do was track down this group and that person…_

**XXX**

Now it was very well known in NORA that Snow would always have something to say, either a new assignment they had personally been giving or something that Snow had, what he thought, was an achievement in his own right (then again Snow was always like that so it was not quite a surprise to them if it was half of what he meant was true.)

Thought lately, he had been keeping a low profile so to speak on things a few weeks after Vanille's funeral. Even this was enough to catch the attention of his NORA comrades, as they thought, a quiet Snow was not a normal thing. Snow did know what was bothering him, though he kept it a secret to his gang. His Reason?

That woman. Fang.

Ever since he had made it out of Fang's house with his life after he found out he had accidently slept with Fang on the sofa, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He began having dreams when he would hear a familiar voice telling him to pick himself up and move on in life, which sounded so much like Fang's. Whatever the voice meant, Snow, rather amusingly, decided not to have any more cheese before heading to sleep. Though a few days later, he ask Fang if she was keen to join NORA. Fang of course would of loved to go on many of NORA's various misadventures, but because Vanille's death had gave her a large punch to the chest, she wanted to lay low for a while so instead gained a job of being a waitress at Lebreau's bar, but still joined up with NORA nevertheless.

Lebreau noted rather amusingly that Fang would often get annoyed when some drunk men would give Fang many wolf whistles to her. Fang at first did like them at first, but after a week, it started to piss her off to no end in sight. "It does amaze me you haven't gone into a punch up with one of them." Chuckled Lebreau one morning as Fang brought out her white apron down from one of the draws on under a desk.

"But they're asking for it though," remarked Fang as she placed on her white apron for yet another day's work. "If I hear one more then—"

"Hopefully that won't happen," the younger woman interrupted Fang. At that very moment to, two very loud voices entered the bar. With loud voices like that, Fang and Lebreau knew fairly well were those voices were belonging to. The two woman walked through a door framed that led from where they where in kitchen area to the main bar area. There sitting on their stools, were two fairly large men both being Lebreau and Fang's fellow NORA comrades, Snow and Gadot.

Most surprising to them was that Snow seemed to be at his old self again with him giving them his trademark 'hero' grin. Pretty much looked like the events of 'The Lost Week' seemed to be in the back of his mind, or maybe he was only putting on a face to show he was ok. Still, seeing Snow in his usual behavior was a good thing no doubt.

"So how are things at NORA H.Q then?" Asked Snow jokingly to the NORA girls.

"All normal until Mr. big mouth comes to break the silence," Fang replied sarcastically.

Gadot and Lebreau give out a good chuckle at this, Snow of course took it all in giving his grin, though very briefly, seemed to loose his words for a moment admiring Fang (his stomach felt rather strange now just simply looking at her.) "I'm not all that loud, Fang," Snow replied, now having got his words back.

"To be honest that's pretty true," chuckled Lebreau. Then from the kitchen area, Lebreau heard a noise chirping out something. "Hang on guys, I'll be back." And the bar owner quickly headed back into the kitchen to find out what was the noise.

Now the small kitchen area not only was where many of Lebreau kept most her cutlery and such in there, but also some various other things like a medium sized safe which was how NORA was self-funded, though helped out running her bar. However, the sound where the noise was coming from was not where she had expected at all. In the corner of the kitchen was a rather old fax machine. She hadn't had much use for it and now it was printing off something.

Because the printer was at an age when printing off a sheet of paper took about three minutes, the young bar owner could only read the bit a paper line-by-line, as she read it further and the time the sheet was printed out, she was no less than stunned at what she had read, so much so that she had to read it all again to make sure what she was seeing was true. On the top left hand corner of the paper, was the official embalm for Presidential power for Gran Pulse, with the President's signature near the bottom (which seemed to be photocopied by the fax machine when it copied the sheet.)

Holding the simple bit of paper like if it was the holy grail, she dashed back into the bar to meet up with the rest of the gang, which Fang was telling Snow and Gadot a little story of some sort.

"…And then of course they thought _I _was the chieftain," Fang explained to an already fascinated Gadot and Snow, both like young children being told a story from their parents. "Of course they were shit for brains no doubt, but I guess it's all—"

"Guys! Look at this!" Lebreau interrupted Fang as she nearly thrust the sheet of paper into Snow's face. As he read it, the others, minus Lebreau of course, gathered round to see what it was about. After reading it, the tall blonde had to take a moment to take it all in what he had read, in which Fang and Gadot now started reading, both having a similar reaction to their gang leader. With his trademark grin on, he smiled at the rest of the gang.

"Guys, this is it," Snow announced to them. "It's our big break at last!" The blonde then got off the stool and headed to the door at a rather speedy pace. "You guys stay here when I get back, I'll get Maqui and Yuj over." And Snow left the bar to find the remaining two members of NORA.

**XXX**

On the sheet of paper, the tasks they were given at first seemed to be quite simple; they would, with the help of 'The Fireman', to safeguard Skybreaker Two on it's flight in a week's time, the reason being a week for is that flying a mammoth Skybreaker with a dangerous weapon on board required a lot of paperwork, hopefully given NORA the time to get to know this person. The only problem being that they were to meet this person was in a bar that neither of them, apart from Fang strangely, knew where it was.

With Fang leading them, a sense of slight tension among the rest who had now seem to have no idea what they had gotten themselves into. Fang eventually lead them to a fairly large bar that was in a rough part of New Bodhum. Lebreau did have a slight tinge of jealously over how big this bar was to her own, but then it is all about business. With a bunch of biker type guys swarming the place, Maqui started to feel rather fearful of what was going on around him as they entered the bar. "Guys, do you think they kick me out being under—"

"Of course not," Fang interrupted. "Just keep close and you'll be ok." While the younger NORA member did this, he still felt being a bit on alert to his surroundings.

Then came the simple problem to find this person, who in turn was suppose to meet _them._ But with the bar being nearly compact with people who all looked somewhat intimidating to them, it was almost impossible the find whoever it was, or what he even looked like. The young gang had to flow through the crowd to get through with it being so busy and everyone else talking loudly (a sight that Lebreau hoped to see a similar scene at her own bar!) They had just managed to walk through to a rather quiet part of the bar with the tables near the windows.

"Hey you lot," came a rather raspy voice from behind them. Looking behind them, they saw a man, round about in his early thirties by the looks of things, with a mullet of messy blue hair that went down to his shoulders, which looked sort of deflated like he hadn't given it a wash in ages. Wearing a slightly torn brown leather jacket, which seemed to match with his rather dull yet mischievous looking brown eyes, and wearing a black t-shirt underneath along with black trousers and grey army boots. To sum it up, he looked pretty much like he was almost dressed to be in NORA.

"Erm, are you…The Fireman?" Asked Snow rubbing the back of his head.

"And you guys must be NORA then," smiled the older man as he stood up and gave Snow a friendly handshake, "my name is Mir, Mir Pacora."

"Snow Villers," Snow replied, which the others did the same after.

After introducing each other, they sat down with him round the rounded table. "Well it looks like we've both been asked to try out our hand out on this little mission," Mir said.

"But how did you know who we were?" Asked Yuj.

Mir chuckled. "Rather simple really, you guys just stand out from the crowd being dressed like that, made you kinda easy to spot."

The gang looked around at their surroundings to see that everyone else were dressed in a dress pattern similar to Mir while they had their normal bright colour of clothes. "No brainer there," chuckled Mir, drinking down a pint of beer.

"But hey, I guess you'll want to see my ship now, don't you, lads and lassies, eh?"

As he expected, the gang looked keen to see what Mir had for his ship. "Follow me then fellow peeps." Gulping down the last of his pint of beer, he lead the interested group through a door that lead into a large corridor with various people heading in and out to which all of NORA thought to be where the ships where. Mir then found the door he was looking for which he had to pull out a slip of paper from his trouser pocket which had a number code to enter to access the hanger.

"What do you think it'll be like?" Asked Yuj to Gadot.

"Something fast hopefully," Gadot replied jokingly.

Once the door to the hanger numbered seven opened, Mir led them once again to see his ship. For what Snow and his gang were thinking for something modern looking and stylish, none of them could prepare themselves for what they saw in that hanger.

The ship was anything but modern, but was a fairly large ship being as long as three house at most with it being two stories tall, with it being raised up on it's landing gear. Near the end of ship were its two large wings, which seemed hardly able to fly the ship due to the wings being so far back. The front end was no better. The front end was covered in a large black blast that could only been possible if the ship had a fire on it, and under the cockpit windows were words written 'Daedalus', probably the name of the ship. The whole ship would have been a bluish-grey at one point, but with the faded paintwork and various rusty patches all over it, it looked like it had languished in a scrap yard for many years.

"Is this it?" Snow asked dumbfounded, the rest of his gang looked the same.

"What were you expecting? One of those rubbish modern 'bashers' aircrafts what's their names…?"

"To be honest, I was _hoping_ for one of them," muttered Yuj.

While the NORA gang looked the 'Daedalus' with rather disappointed looks, Maqui was completely the opposite; he looked like he had received the biggest birthday present he had seen. "My god it's an 'X-92'!" He exclaimed receiving strange looks from his teammates, expect for Mir who smiled at him.

"How smart of you to guess one of these things at your age," Mir said while checking out a few engine parts in the leg gear of the craft on the front end, "bit of a geek now are we?"

The young NORA member had now at this point run over to the ship standing under the undercarriage looking around in awe at the scruffy machine. "Wouldn't say geek as such," Maqui pouted, "I just remember seeing one of this class members in a book I read not long ago, never thought I'd see one in the flesh, what happened to the rest?"

The older bluerette man then looked up the lowered platform that was lowered so that anyone could get aboard. "If anyone wishes to come aboard I'll tell you the story."

Hoping the inside of the craft would be better than what it looked on the outside, the NORA gang followed Mir up the ramp and into the X-92. Though sadly, their thoughts (minus Maqui who was caught in it all of seeing one of this class) were crushed when they saw the old style interior of the craft. Granted it was cleaner looking on the inside, but the walls and roof were all in a moldy green colour, almost like an old arcade gaming place. The first thing they all saw after walking up the ramp was many types of metal crates scattered all round what seemed to be the cargo deck. Near the back of the ship, they could see what looked like a hover craft of some sort.

"And this of course is the cargo deck," Mir spoke like a guide tour announcer. "All sorts of various stuff reside in here." He then pointed to two sets of handrails near the roof of the cargo bay on each side of the craft. "In case we have any lads or lassies that need to be saved from god knows where, they can hide in here and hold onto the hand rails at all times, sorry, the seats for this X-92 were not part of the package when my farther bought this craft."

"What'd you mean 'your farther bought it'?" Asked Gadot looking around the old structure of the ship.

Mir then led the group towards the cockpit area of the X-92. "Long story," Mir began. "What happened was when this class of ship were decommissioned as they were proving to cost a hell of a lot of money to keep running, all twenty that is! With no use for them, The Guardian Corps Air Force sent them to be scraped back on Cocoon. Though my farther loved this piece of vehicle, being in the GCAR himself."

By now the older man led them into the cockpit room. Compared to the Cargo deck, it did seem to have a clean quality to it, even though it still had the same colour of the cargo deck. There were eight chairs in the room (two for piloting the ship, four seats behind them and two seats behind those ones.) The control panel was like all-typical aircraft though was ancient compared to modern types. Along the side of the craft were various machines with some paperwork on top of some. But the strangest thing of all was a small stuff Chocobo toy hanging on a piece of string on the roof near the front, almost like the furry dice on a car more like.

"And this is where I pilot this thing not surpassingly," Mir continued, "sorry for it all being a mess and what-no, bit of a lazy git I' am to cleaning."

"But what's with the Chocobo?" Asked Lebreau eying the hanging stuffed toy.

"Oh that," chuckled Mir holding the Chocobo (he was sitting now on the pilot's seat.) "That's only my lucky mascot that I've had since I took over the ship from my dad."

"Then, where's you dad then?" Maqui asked.

Mir looked over to him with a sly grim. "…He's in the cemetery." He said sarcastically to them. "But no, he was a good man and loved this thing more than good old Mum."

"What you mean he had an affair or something this damn thing?" Fang asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well I guess you could say that," Mir sighed while checking a few parts on the control panel. "But he loved Mum all the same. When he died six years ago, I was given the ship by him and could only pay for its fuel costs by helping out on various missions."

Yuj stared at the older man with an unsatisfied face. "What type of deals where you doing then and why haven't you by now refurbished the Daedalus?"

Mir turned round in his chair looking at the other bluerette in the room, his smile now gone. "Well let's just say back on Cocoon…They were kinda illegal trades I was doing back then…" He lowered his head a bit remembering it. An awkward silence followed. "…But they were given me one thousand gil every time I did I successful run, and by adding it all up with following missions you'd have thought I would had enough to restore the X-92, but sadly all that money goes for the fuel, which costs four thousand for just a full tank, but problematic don't you guys think?"

Lebreau crossed her arms and shook her head. _"Great," _she thought rolling her eyes, _"our helper is an ex-illegal trader_ _back on Cocoon, just perfect." _

"But wait," Maqui piped in, "Why are you called 'The Fireman'?

"Bloody hell, it slipped my mind!" Mir said slapping his hand on his head. 'Well it's kinda a funny story really, these X-92's can travel at speeds at nearly ten thousand miles per hour, sounds ridiculous but it's true. With the speed this thing could go at, it would like a fireball traveling across the sky, hence the burnt front end, and the pilots who did this were nicknamed 'Fireman'. And you could only be called this if you actually _did _it, but I've done it twice in case you want to know."

And the gang eyeballed Mir after he said those words, almost if he had solved a nearly impossible maths question.

**XXX**

NORA stayed with Mir and his ship for the next hour or so, which he also reviled that he could carry out marriages as his farther was big in church then, though to date Mir had married none, though joked that if any of them wanted to get married, he'd be alright to do so, Snow himself had thought that he sort of knew who he might want to marry if he knew what to do…

"Your staring into space again, Snow," Fang spoke breaking Snow's train of thought as they walked back to Fang's house. "So what's up there then?"

"Huh?"

"What's on your mind?"

Snow would have said what he was thinking, though did felt asking her it would be too soon or ridiculous. "Just thinking about how run down that ship was," Snow lied.

"To true," Fang replied. "The fact that the thing hasn't fallen apart could be nothing short of a miracle, ain't I right?"

"Well, I guess, seems pretty attached to it though." Snow added.

"Maybe he'll marry it soon," the bronze skin woman joked, "the day that happens is when you Snow get the job of a banker or some higher job, which just thinking about that itself is damn scary to think about."

Snow uttered a small chuckle. "Could be worse you than that."

"Oh, don't give me anymore crazy thoughts," Fang shook her head. For four or five minutes, they remained quiet for the rest of the walk to Fang's house, with Snow at times eying Fang up and down, the memory of accidently sleeping with her still burned in his head. Finally the long silence was broken when the sight of Fang's house came into view.

"Well I guess see you again, hopefully soon considering we have a week to kill off," Fang said as she departed from Snow and began walking up the little pathway to her front door, she then paused and turned round to look at Snow. "See you around then…'hero'." And gave him a sly wink and opened the door and entered her house.

Snow felt himself caught almost off guard when she gave him that wink. _"Why I 'am feeling this way for?"_ Snow thought to himself as he began walking away to his own apartment not far from where he was. _"Have I fallen…? No I can't. Why does she bring it up in me? Damn it, Vanille!" _

Snow could only think that it must have been Vanille's fault he was feeling this way for writing to him in that letter to make sure he kept Fang ok. Maybe he could possible get to know Fang a bit better in the week, but until then, Snow went back home to think over his thoughts.

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**Oh yes, that 'Damn it, Vanille!' quote may pop up now and again in the fanfic. Think about, all the crap you put into a fanfic and dread that it'll be put down, though if you have one review saying that the love then it is worth it in the end! If not, let's see you write your own SxF fic maybe. Now review please and keep me going with this. The next chapter ( and maybe even the one after) will focus more on Snow and Fang's relationship prior to the mission. Make me happy please! **


	5. Punishment

**Another update! Though the not the type you were expecting...**

**This part was intended for what will be the next chapter, however when writing this up, this part didn't seem to fit, so instead this part was made into a chapter itself. In this part, we shall meet our villain, hohoho. What's a good story without a classic baddie? It wouldn't be much fun now would it? I will only leak out a few things in this part in the story to keep you guys guessing, I did say that future chapters will be longer and I will slow down the story at times for character development, though this part is an expecting to introduce the villain. Have fun reading! **

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**Part 5**

**Punishment**

Two middle-aged men, with their suitcases, walked together into a vast room that had a classical feel about it with many old paintings on the wall, a classic styled fireplace at the other end of the room and a large, long table. Sitting at it was the person they had come to see about. On their end of the table was the person's wife enjoying her lunch, a middle-aged redhead. On the other end was the man they had asked to come up to see him.

The two middle-aged men, one having a pair of glasses with raven hair and the other being a blonde, both wore black suits and were nervous of how the first phase of the operation had went for their client. Also enjoying his meal on the other end of the table was the man they had come to see. The man, named Marcus Nocoll, looked a bit older than his wife, maybe in his sixties at least, with a nearly baldhead with only some grey hairs left on his head. Dressed in a maroon coloured housecoat, he looked all every bit, as well as the room he was in, of being a rich man.

"Ah, Mr. Clark and Professor Cupar," Mr. Nocall welcomed as the two other men as they gave their greetings to him as well. Marcus had a rather warm accent when he said something.

"You asked for us?" Asked Professor Cupar, feeling someone intimated along with his fellow scientist.

"Yes of course," Marcus replied eating enough piece of his lunch. "I'm please to tell you two that the first third of our operation has been met with most considerable success." The two scientists looked to each other with surprised yet excited looks. "And your help with the tracking device for the Skybreaker worked flawlessly. Because of this, I shall be placing ten million gil into both your bank accounts."

The two men couldn't believe their luck when they heard this, and couldn't help but give Marcus a small bow. "Thank you Mr. Nocall," Mr. Clark thanked him, and both turned to walk to catch their ride off the giant airship they were on.

"But," Marcus spoke out to stop them from leaving, now his voice sounding somewhat colder. As hoped, the two men turned round to hear what was wrong. " Before you go, you must know a few things. I regret to inform you two that a disturbing case of events have taken place that may place the second phase of our operation into dangerous grounds." Mr. Clark and Professor Cupar looked at each other with worrying looks.

"With the disappearance of Skybreaker Thirteen, our hacking systems were to inform their ground control that the ship had crashed into the ocean, but now we have discovered that our systems have failed and the next Skybreaker to fly in our direction which shall have a protection aircraft to guard it." Mr. Nocall then looked over to his wife with a warm smile. "Oh my dear I feel that you wouldn't want to hear more of this, please, the elevator."

Pressing a button on his small control panel by his seat, the doorway that Mr. Clark and Professor Cupar had arrived on opened up for Marcus' wife to enter. As told, she left feeling slightly confused by it all, though entered nevertheless.

Then Marcus pressed another switch that opened a large painting in front of them that had a large screen of a wind tunnel type chamber. None of the two scientists knew what would happen next. Then Mr. Nocall pressed another button which they could hear the screams of his wife, and then saw that she had fallen through a trap door of some sort and had ended up in the chamber on the screen. As soon as she landed in, two engines on either end starting working, both blowing forward so that the woman couldn't move to escape.

"It was _you _who betrayed me," Mr. Nocall spoke into a microphone beside him that would have been heard in the chamber. Though it was doubtful she might of heard him as the engines began to get more and more louder with flames starting to blow out. "You were the one who stopped the jamming system from working. Now you'll pay for what you have done for your punishment."

The flames now blew out with tremendous force and power that the wife was incinerated on the spot, not being able to scream for her life. Marcus pressed the switch that had showed the screen now closing it, hiding it away from view. Both Professor Cupar and Mr. Clark looked to shock to say anything for what they had just saw. But Mr. Nocall gave them a smile. "…Once again, my most greatest thanks."

The elevator door opened again, but both seemed rather cautious about entering; however the both entered nevetheless. They had no idea if this would be their last moment living or they would be spared with their lives. Though unlike the wife, they both weren't killed and the elevator door opened up on to the top deck of the ship.

On two small television screens beside him, one of cameras were filming the aircraft on the deck and the other on the inside of the craft, not long later after the two men had bordered the aircraft, the ship left the deck and onwards back to wherever they came from. From the onboard camera, Marcus could see both the men looking pretty happy with themselves shaking each other's hand over their new fortune. Then Marcus pressed another button, which he could see from his window the aircraft blowing up and falling into the sea below.

"Captain," Marcus said into the Microphone.

"Yes sir?" Came the voice from the captain.

Marcus took one last look at the flaming piece of wrecking falling below his window. "Please cancel the transfer of twenty million gil from the bank accounts of Dr. Clark and Professor Cupar and inform the next of kin that a terrible accident has resulted in the loss of their lives."

"Copy that sir," said the voice.

Marcus then raised his lips into a small cruel smile. _"The reshaping of Gran Pulse will happen."_ He thought menacingly and he continued eating his grand meal.

* * *

**Damn, what an asshole! I do promise that the next chapter WILL be only on Snow and Fang as we see things between them in their relationship pick up. It may take up to two chapters i don't know, we'll have to wait and see what happens. I may be off for a spell due to some events that have come about at home, but I'll be working on the next chapter, only though _if _you review and make me a happy lad, that will be all I need to keep me going with the fic, amazing what encouragement can do, eh?**


	6. From Me, To You

**Jesus, I'm updating at a rate! Or maybe I just want to get this fanfic out of the way and get to work on my new Warcraft fic 'High Noon' I'm hoping to do right after this, or it could be your wonderful and positive reviews that keep me going. Now this chapter is one of two chapters (the other one will come next) of Snow and Fang's relationship take a new turn. While I think Fang has some of the best lines in this one, I do fear that I may of made her quite OOC, yet I do find Fang quite nearly hard to keep IC towards what will happen in the last part of this chapter. **

**I'm starting to feel like I'm leading the way for SnowxFang fics with this one, though I do admit that someone on here will make a far better SxF fic than what I have hopefully not long away, still everyone has to start from somewhere and I have to do it, oh joys...**

**I wrote all of this during a pish-poor Saturday with nothing else to do as I had finished most of my College work, I guess fanfiction can save you from boredom, eh? So here is a lovely new chapter for all you wonderful peeps out there, off you go! **

* * *

**Part 6**

**From Me, To You**

Since meeting Mir and seeing his ship, the NORA gang all rubbed off well on him, even though most of them felt in the back of their minds that the X-92 would fall apart in flight, still you couldn't be too careful. Out of all of NORA who paid a great interest in the craft, the one person turned out to unsurprisingly Maqui. Being the mechanical gear head of the group, the seventeen year old had helped out Mir with some of the broken features on the craft, and even told Mir many of the class of ship's history with so much that it nearly overwhelmed Mir himself! With only four days to go until the mission, Snow had only that amount of time to try and attempt what could've been a rather pointless and very late move to attempt in the eve of the mission, rub off well on Fang and maybe…

Snow lay back on his bed that morning wondering about it all and his new feelings for the tribes' woman, good old Vanille had gotten himself into this state (_"Damn it, Vanille!") _ And to try and pull of the idea he had in his head seemed like an impossible task; but then again this is Snow and he somehow finds a way at things, even if the idea crashes and burns. Slowly rising up from the bed, he now had his 'heroic' confidence back in him and felt ready, though he did hope it would stay for the moment.

"_It's no problem," _he thought to himself hopefully as he placed on his black bandana and his long trench coat. _"It's something I've done before, I can do this, no problem!" _Of course Snow had prior to meeting Serah met with other girls before, he had lost count though but he did feel that he had the experience to pull this off, but Fang was far from being like those girls before so he had slight fear how this would go. Now filled to the brim with his headstrong confidence, and with the thought that he was to out to please Vanille if she could see it and take care of Fang, pure blunt luck indeed.

**XXX**

A loud alarm clock sounded in Fang's bedroom that morning (the lazy woman was still in bed at ten o'clock) but Fang knocked over the alarm silencing it as it hit the floor. Fang groaned as she knew it would be another day of being whistled at in the bar as the waitress, she gotten to the point thinking that being a waitress wasn't her sort of thing. Nevertheless she awoke slowly, rubbed her eyes and prepared to have a shower, while she may have looked like her old form as always, today, deep down she had many things going on in her. The big one being of course seeing how empty the house felt without Vanille. Fang gave a slight chuckle thinking that at this time seeing the younger redhead waking her up cheerfully and handing Fang her breakfast, most of the time being burnt toast, still she had to show she was enjoying it to her, even though she hated it. Nevertheless she still missed the hell out of her.

While she discarded some of the things she had been wearing that night (a pair of black panties and a blue t-shirt) she started the shower. Getting into the shower, her thoughts hankered back to something else on her mind. Snow. She had noticed how different he was at times now. _"Maybe Vanille's death is still with him, wonder how the others are doing anyway?" _Fang thought to herself as she starting rubbing the shower gel all over her fine figure body. One of the things she did want to know was what had Vanille wrote to him prior to her death, she would have thought it would have been to her if Vanille was in her dying breath, but this must have been something different and she couldn't stop thinking about it. The other thing that was on her mind being was of how Snow would be eying her at times. With Fang being Fang of course she took note of this telling to Snow, resulting him getting a bit red face being a bit embarrassed by it. Still he had only been doing this lately and she couldn't put her finger on _why _he would be doing it.

Fang sighed to herself as she placed the shampoo on thinking about it. _"I will admit," _she thought, _"he is quite a handsome guy—wait what!" _the Gran Pulsain born woman nearly fell backwards in the shower, thankfully it was one of these box type showers she was in so she didn't fall back much as such.

She would figure out what Snow's inner thoughts were soon.

**XXX**

With nothing else better to do with no small missions for NORA to do, the gang leader had only to take the short walk up to Lebreau's bar and catch up with things with his fellow comrade. With Lebreau's bar being NORA unofficial H.Q, any missions sent to them would end up there and Snow would always come to see if there was any news, most of time it was to keep dangerous animals away from Bodhum and nothing else, still he always liked to keep his thoughts up of course. With him deep in thought, he hadn't noticed seeing someone else walking in front of him. Snow hurried apologized about bumping into whoever it was, though his eyes and face lit up when he saw that the person had been none other than Fang.

"Needing glasses or something?" Fang joked brushing something of her blue tribal robes.

"Hey Fang," Snow smiled, though his insides starting to feel somewhat queasy. "Another day of work?"

"The only thing I have that is giving me income apart from your gang," Fang replied rolling her eyes.

As they had met both just outside the bar, they only had to make the short stroll into the place. "So why you here then?" Fang asked.

"Just checking for more missions," Snow replied opening the door for them.

Fang shook her head, "Since we were told to do that big mission it must have really all gone to your hollow head."

"Hey! I've always done this you know."

Then they heard a voice from the other side of the room that belonged to Lebreau welcoming them. "Just on time as well, Fang," Lebreau smiled looking up on the wall at the big clock that was only one minute away from hit eleven o'clock. She then looked over to see Snow. "And I guess you're here for…"

"That's right," Snow winked. "Anything then?"

Lebreau let out a small laugh. "Well sorry to rain on your parade but it stands at zero at the moment." Just as she said this though, a small gang of guys entered the bar; Fang knew pretty well who they were and why they were here.

"There she is!" Said one of them pointing to Fang as the others joined in wolf whistling to her and some trying to call her over. Fang groaned as she placed on her white apron. Then one of them said something none of them had said before.

"Why dress like that?" Said one of them. The bar went silent as his mates looked at him thinking of 'what-did-you-say?' looks on their faces. Even Snow and Lebreau cringed in thought about what would happen next.

"What about my clothes?" Fang asked looking down at herself then looking at the all boy gang raising an eyebrow.

"Do you have to wear tribal gear, lady? Look what everyone else is wearing, you stand out from the crowd, baby!"

Fang then placed her hands on her hips with a playful hurt look on her face. "…Some people could look good in anything dear boy."

Snow and Lebreau could only chuckle when the gang seem to shuffle their way out of the bar and gave the guy who said that outburst many glares, no doubt he had ruined their moment on her.

"If this bar was a full theater audience they would be giving you a standing ovation," said Snow with his infamous grin plastered on his face.

"Well thank you for that 'Mr. Hero'," Fang replied giving them a small bow.

Snow though felt that he couldn't look away from her as she walked by him and into the backroom checking something before the crowds entered. He had to say what he to say to Fang pretty soon when the moment was right, it just waiting for that moment that made him feel uneasy with it all, he would confess how he felt about her.

**XXX**

Snow left the bar not long after and for most of the day went to help out with Mir. Normally Maqui would be there to help him out but with this being a Tuesday and the young NORA member at that time taking his prelims, Maqui had said that this mission was great for him to out from the boring life in the high school and on to a great adventure. Mir and the 'Daedaleus" were both still in the hanger that Snow and the gang first saw the ship. While Snow tried his hand out for helping him out on refueling the craft, Snow found it all very boring after an hour when Mir starting talking about some complex patterns about the ship. Snow began to wonder how Maqui found all of this interesting, then again he was the team's mechanical genus. By the time Snow returned to Lebreau's bar, it was about five at night with a now wonderful sunset, hopefully perfect for the rest of the night.

Once entering, Snow did see Lebreau cleaning out a few glasses at the front counter, but he was surprised to see that he couldn't see Fang anywhere. "Hey where is she?" Asked Snow to Lebreau.

Lebreau smiled at this. "Oh she's in the backroom having a nap," she explained, "Pretty worn out somehow, must be lack of sleep, why do you need her for anyway."

Snow rubbed his hands with a hopeful look on his face. "Just have something lined up for her tonight."

"Ahh…" Lebreau rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Is it a date I presume?"

"Not like that!" Snow corrected, "Just…somewhere."

Even if Snow was telling the truth to her, the nineteen year old woman couldn't help but wonder by his slightly blushing face and almost stuttering attitude if he really meant something else. "Well go in, she might be a little cranky, I'm not too sure. Go ahead though."

And Snow gave her a small 'thanks' and opened the door to the room.

Compared to the main bar, the backroom was silent with various crates of supplies lying all round the room. It all was silent until he heard the most un-lady like snore in the room. Looking around the room from where it was coming from, it was no surprise to the blonde when he found the source of where it was coming from, good old Fang sleeping on a bundle of large bags snoring away. Snow began to wonder how he and the former l'Cie gang had slept at night with her snoring.

Despite this, Snow would agree with any man that she was beautiful. Perfect bronze skin, perfect figure, perfect attitude with him, perfect brea—he shook the thought away, there was no denying him that he had feelings for her, though confessing to her in the eve of their mission to help with the Skybreaker seemed to be too much to ask for, but this was Snow of course and he always finds his way around things.

He knelt down and gave her a small shake to wake her up. As hoped, she started to awake. "Hey, wake up."

Fang rubbed her eyes and groaned quietly. "If your one of those guys I'll stick my spear right up your—Snow?" Fang's eyes widened when she saw him, not to mention this close. "Oh it's you! What is it?"

Snow sat down beside her, which that warm feeling starting up again with them. "Erm, Fang…" Snow began scratching the back of his head, "I need to ask you something…"

The raven-haired woman placed a hand on her hip waiting for Snow to continue. "Yes?"

"I'm just thinking...well, with you working a lot, how about I take you out for a drink?" The words that Snow had said had all rolled off the end of his tongue without even really thinking about it properly. All he could do now was cross his fingers behind his back.

A long silence followed with Fang looking of course surprise by Snow's words and how he mentioned about just them for a drink. She looked away from him staring into blank space. Was this a date? No, he only said about taking her out for a drink. Nothing else, but why would he do such this late? After what seemed like about half a minute thinking it over, she then gave him a small smile. "Well we _are _in a bar that could be used for tonight."

"No, no, not here," Snow corrected, "I meant somewhere else, and you know what Lebreau is like at times."

The raven-haired girl had to agree with the NORA leader with that fact; Lebreau would spread the news about the night. "So where about then?"

To be honest, Snow hadn't really thought of a place for the night, he had worried about how much Fang would decline his offer that he hadn't thought about that, typical Snow…

"Well there is that bar on the other side of town you know," Fang suggested, "seeing as you seem clueless about it."

Snow knew exactly what she meant, the bar she was talking about was in fact a rival bar of Lebreau's, thankfully though, the bar owners there knew that Snow and Fang were Lebreau's fellow comrades. "Erm, ok. What time are you free?"

"After eight," Fang said, "meet me outside that place then, will be nice to get away from here I must confess." She then stood up from the spot and placed her apron back on and walked over to the door and back into the bar. Though before leaving, she stop to look at Snow. "Call it a date," and she gave him a wink and left him there.

Snow was for once speechless, as he couldn't believe what had happened. He was going out with Fang tonight. Snow was the sort of person who would of climbed the tallest building in all of Gran Pulse and shout out across the land saying what was going to happen, but it wasn't a date of such, at least he thought it was in his head. At least that part was done, the rest of the night had still yet to come.

**XXX**

Knowing that this outing with Fang wouldn't be much to talk about, Snow didn't bother dressing up for the night and he assumed that Fang would be the same. Arriving with about three minutes to go, Snow found the bar they were going to on he other side of town. With it the amount of people inside, it's clean walls and from what Snow could see, many waiters and waitresses, Snow could see why Lebreau would be green with envy.

"Pretty impressive don't you think?" Said a voice suddenly, nearly making the blonde to jump slightly. The voice belonged to Fang. As he hoped, she was dressed in her usual casual outfit, her blue tribal outfit. "At least you didn't overdress yourself."

Snow looked down at himself. "Well is nothing much this outing."

"Unless you want to make it memorably," Fang joked, though Snow was sure that her voice had a slight flirt to it, maybe it was just him.

"Well are we going in?" The raven-haired woman asked, "getting pretty chilly out here." Without second thought, Snow followed her into the bar. Walking behind her seeing how gracefully she walked had now become one of his favorite views in the world.

Walking into the bar, it amazed both of them how much the bar owner had spent on this place with what seemed like a chandelier above them. So much they were grossed into how wonderful it all looked that they didn't noticed the waiter asking them to follow him to their seats.

"Hello?" Asked the waiter snapping Snow and Fang out of their thoughts. "This way please."

With the place being so packed, the only seats left were one of the ones outside in the back. While they may get even more of a chill out there, they didn't quite mind as long they could at least find a seat. Already there were a few people out there chatting and drinking, but that wasn't what caught their attention. The back of the bar led out on an incredible postcard type shot with the bay and moonlight setting. Almost perfect for a romantic confession, he just hoped he could pull this off.

**XXX**

An hour had past since they arrived at the bar and in that time alone had started to find each other quite entertaining and fun, even if it did mean they were drinking through many pints of beer on their table (Snow was amazed to see how well of a drinker Fang was as most of the empty pints of beer belong to her.)

"…And then that's why our first mission crashed and burned as Maqui ruined the lightning system blowing our cover," Snow concluded finishing his story while Fang, now clearly quite drunk, laughed loud at his story.

"Oh you can be such an idiot and yet be funny as hell," Fang sighed rubbing a few tears from her eyes. "Though there is one thing I want to know."

"What's that then?" Asked Snow drinking down the last of his current glass of beer.

As they were sitting in one of these semicircle seats that went round the table, Fang shuffled along a bit to sit quite close to the NORA gang leader. "Only just want to hear what Vanille wrote down for you."

Had Snow been sober he would have changed the subject quickly, but as they were both fairly drunk, his infamous big mouth had to tell her (though he wasn't quite as drunk as Fang.) "She just…wanted me to make sure you'd be ok and that I'd always be there for you."

That was it. The cat was out of the bag and the secret Vanille had told him to keep secret was now reviled to Fang. Snow didn't know if she might have been turning in her grave or would probably get that Fang would find out the secret anyway. Fang did look rather shocked and Snow thought that she nearly blushed. His drunken state didn't help to tell him if he was to stay with her or run out of the bar as fast as possible.

"Well I can tell you one thing," Fang finally spoke. "You may have been an idiot most of the time, but you did keep your word for her for standing by me…"

Snow's eyes widened, what was going to happen now?

"And because of this, he's your reward." Now Fang would never do this upfront, even by her standards, but as she was taken over by the beer, she leaned closer to Snow and gave him a quick kiss on his check. Even if it was a check kiss, Snow could feel his whole body reacting to it. His face really said it all to her, which she found rather amusing. "Not enough for you?" She smiled raising her eyebrow at him.

"Well, um, thanks," Snow now was starting to blush, and he couldn't blame it on no warm night. Wasn't this a ridiculous picture, a grown twenty-one year old man blushing madly at this beautiful woman beside him? His confession wasn't all going the way he hoped for.

"But really Snow," the raven-haired continued in a drunk serious tone. "You have been the _only _person to stand by me. You stand by me and I'll stand by you."

Snow couldn't keep his feelings for her anymore and leaned down to kiss her on the lips, which she thankfully kissed back. The confession may had come out wrong, but that didn't matter now. To him, she had a rather odd yet wonderful scent of flowers and coconuts. To sum it up, she was worth it all in the end. This now felt like something he hadn't had with his ex-fiancé…

After the kiss, the new drunk lovers' foreheads touched with each other looking lovely into each other's eyes. "Bit of a crowd here don't you think?" Fang said softly noticing the outside crowd getting bigger. "Maybe come with me to my place?"

Snow smiled as he simply nodded to her. And with his arm wrapped round his new lover's waist, they exited the bar suddenly singing like two classic drunks towards Fang's home. Any sane person would of thought they were a mad pair, though to be honest, they were quite a crazy pair.

* * *

**Oh Snow you lucky bastard! Many men wish to in your boots, lad. Well there we have them together, but things in the next chapter will get quite...smutty. Oh yes, I can now confirm that the next chapter will have a lemon in it, though it will be my first so don't think it'll be good...maybe. And yes, Fang did have a lot of good lines in this one, review and tell me what was best. I do feel that the confession part does feel a tad bit rushed, but at least it wasn't cliché like them saying 'I love you', that would of been the finally nail in the coffin for this fic at short notice! Any review if you want more, let's just say things may get a bit out of hand for our new couple... **


	7. From a Lover to an Enemy

**Ok my fellow peeps I'm back again. This is a chapter that scares me. Why may you ask? It is my first lemon chapter. Now as this is my first, I'm not sure if I've got it right, but if I have and tell me in a review it was ok, then that'll make my day. I can happily tell you guys that this part is the half way point in our little adventure with our new couple, hehehe. Now with the rest of the chapter, I'm pretty proud of it and I hope (no pun intended!) that this goes down well with you guys. I've also been thinking that after this story I'm thinking about making little oneshot sequels to this story if it get's popular this fanfic. **

**Because of this chapter, I'll bump the age rating up to 'M' for what happens here. Things will get, out of hand... **

**So enough of me rambling like this and start reading away! **

* * *

**Part 7**

**From a Lover to an Enemy**

For anyone on the street that night who could hear two people singing very badly and wondering where it was coming from, the answer was from a tall blonde and a raven-haired woman. They were of course Snow and Fang. To see people drunk singing like getting their teeth taking out was bad enough, seeing these two do it was even worse. To think that these two where part of the group that helped saved the world had been reduced to this drunken state was appalling to think about. Snow and Fang though happily had each other's arms around their waists; the alcohol had now started to take effect on them. If the Fang had been Serah and if Lightning had saw the scene, their was doubt that she would of killed Snow, though maybe she did think somewhere inside did think that Fang was perfect for Snow, two headstrong fools. At this point of course the memories of Serah and Lightning had now faded from his head.

The walk from the bar to Fang's home is about ten minutes, though with them in the state they were in from falling into bushes and nearly hitting the road, the walk was about twenty-five minutes. Nevertheless against all odds they made it to the house and nearly tripped up on the way through the front door, which Fang had some great difficulty to find the keys for the door under the doormat falling over at times. Still she was laughing like an idiot though. Finally closing the door behind them both of them went in for a wild yet clumsy kiss. Fang moaned softy then slightly went a bit harder when Snow lifted her up bridal style upstairs towards her bedroom. The house had two bedrooms, one for Fang of course and the other which was Vanille's, though now she had passed away and Fang had been considering making it a guest's room. Snow did have a bit of difficulty of finding her room, but with Fang giving him directions pointing while being held bridal style by him, Snow entered with her.

This was also the first time he had actually seen her room and was quite surprise by what he saw. Unlike his own room that always seemed to be a shit-tip, Fang's room was surprisingly clean and the rooms had a white finish that reflected the moonlight coming in from the windows. The carpet itself was of a blue fuzzy type, to say this room was better than his was perhaps an understatement. Snow lowered his new lover onto her bed with him pinning her down as he continued the making out session on the bed. Snow laid down a trail of wet kisses down her neck causing Fang to moan softly in pleasure at this. As it went on, one-by-one, strands of their clothes fell by the sides of the bed. When Fang discarded her under top, Snow continued kissing down from her neck down to her breasts. In turn, Fang starting kissing down his chest, the raven-haired woman was surprised that he smelt, dared she think of it, quite sexy.

Fang kissed him hungrily, boldly running her hands down his back and squeezing his ass, taking his trousers off in the process. In turn, Fang nearly gasped when she felt Snow do the same taking her mini skirt off and throwing it aside.

Finally after what seemed like an age, Snow broke the kiss, and gazed down at her flushed face, eyes clouded with desire, lips swollen from his attentions. He panted, trembling slightly with the effort it took to not simply flip her over and rut her like an animal till she couldn't walk. He kept her hands pinned down with one hand while with his other hand pulled off her black panties, occasionally looking at her, pleased to see unrestrained want etching her beautiful features. They finally managed to undo all of each other's clothes and the tall blonde sucked in a breath when her naked body was revealed to him, a pure perfect bronze-skin type body she had underneath all that tribal type gear. Snow began to wonder if he was actually dreaming this out.

Both now were completely naked and felt rather chilly from their exposed bodies. Fang pulled Snow down for another kiss pulling the bed covers over them to warm them up. For another mad moment of love they kissed until Fang broke the kiss. "Snow…" she panted, quivering slightly. "I need you…now."

Unknown to them, being drunk with desire, a disaster was waiting to happen…

Following her with those words she said to him, she opened up her legs for him slowly, almost teasing him. Snow's eyes widen when he saw how he found Fang's pussy all lovely, bare and open to his hungry gaze. He looked up to see her watching him, begging him with her eyes to give her release. Closing his eyes, he dove in, groaning at the taste of her arousal, his cock now becoming stiff. He relished her loud groans as he made love to her, giving her just enough to make her climb higher, but leaving her still wanting. Her firm hands gripped his back, pulling in her desperate need for him to be inside her. But he stopped looking at her, sweating down in bucketfuls, with a sly grin on his face

"That wait makes it all the better, don't you think?" he murmured before he languidly kissed her, loving how much she wanted him more and more, the warrior she might have been before was lost thanks to him. She kissed him hungrily, seeming to enjoy the taste of her essence on his mouth. She sighed and moaned as he nipped her bottom lip, trailed his mouth to her ear and whispered, "Relax...I'll do this slowly…"

Without warning, he pushed his cock slowly into her wet sheath but slowly stopped halfway, never anticipating that she would be so incredibly tight. Drawing upon the last shreds of his control, he paused, wanting make sure she felt no pain. He watched her face, her look of intense concentration giving way to pleasure. She wiggled her hips, needing more of him. Snow needed no further encouragement. He swiftly impaled her to the bed, eliciting a delighted shriek from the raven-haired beauty.

"Damn woman! So tight!" he ground out with a tortured groan, turning his head away, afraid she would fear him if he lost control completely and gave in to his lusts. He concentrated very hard on keeping his movements slow and methodical. She wrapped her long slender legs around his waist, meeting his thrusts with her own. And she continued to surprise him by, once again, reading his mind. He felt her strong hands on each side of his face, gently turning his head to look at her. His heart clenched in his chest when she smiled at him.

"I know you would never hurt me, Snow." Said Fang as his eyes widened and then he grinned back at her, grateful for her gentle acceptance of his nature. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, loving the softness of her lips. Her legs tightened around him and she whispered against his mouth, a rather loud whisper that nearly made jump, "Now fuck me already!"

The large man, after getting back his confidence, laughed. "As you wish." And he thrust sharply into her then, earning him a lusty wail from her. He finally allowed himself to give in to his desire to plow into her hard and fast.

Fang's eyes rolled back in her head. With each thrust he hit a spot within her that caused a jolt of fire to shoot throughout her loins. The more he pounded into her, the more her belly coiled into an overcharged center of pleasure. She cried out when he moved his hand to her bundle of nerves, rubbing with his thumb, driving her insane with want.

They looked at each other right then. Fang was so turned on to see the feral look in his eyes, how they bled completely red with his desire. She knew his strong side would not stop now, no matter what, and part of her was a tiny bit frightened by that fact. She knew this is what gave him pause...but she wanted him like this, of this she was positive.

With a low moan, he took her breast in his mouth and sucked, never once slowing the pace of his fucking. The feelings of his total possession of her and his mouth sucking her nipple made her pussy gush over him even more.

Still he rutted into her curvy body, forcing orgasm after orgasm from her until she was close to passing out. Yet he would have more from her. She moaned hoarsely, astonished by his stamina, and loving every minute. She gasped when she felt the subtle change in his thrusts, and sensed he was close. She suddenly wanted him against her; she wanted to feel every tremor in his body when he reached his peak. She turned her head and looked over her shoulder at him. She grabbed his hand and pulled him down on top of her, loving his growl and the way his arms wrapped tightly around her, his rutting becoming erratic and desperate. She softly and reverently said his name, overcome with the havoc he wreaked on her senses.

Snow was lost in a red haze of lust, he didn't know how long he pounded into her glorious heat, but when she pulled him close to her and she came yet again, his name sounding like a prayer on her lips, his balls tightened, and her pulsing walls forced his climax to come upon him in a crashing wave, and he came violently with a cry, his seed filling her to overflowing. After a slow decent into a gentle thrusting of his hips, whispering something to her about his awe and gratitude, he finally stilled, and fell to the side exhausted by it all.

From what had been a loud event a few minutes ago had now caused the room to go silent. A sweating and panting Snow looked over to her, the moonlit light from the window on her made her seem too perfect, he had to be dreaming of what he was seeing. Fang, like her lover all seating and panting, looked over to him and smiled. "…Well," She said that was almost a whisper. "You passed the test to be my man, hero."

Snow felt so lucky, maybe the luckiest guy in all of Gran Pulse to have someone as strong as her. Snow of course was too exhausted to talk back, even was she for any more words. Finally wrapping his strong arms around her, they went to sleep almost instantly.

It may have been a night of pure passion, yet due to their drunken desire, for each other would proof to be something they both wished neither had done that night…

**XXX**

It had been a dream. A crazy wet dream. That was what Snow thought it all was, though his memory of last night was pretty hazy due to him being drunk, whatever it was he had been dreaming of had been rather satisfying for him strangely. He didn't even bother to open his eyes just at the fact that he would awake in his own stuffy room. But he knew he had to get up and out of his bed eventually, but he was awoken not by rays of sunshine coming through his window, but by a strange noise in the hallway.

Snow's eyes opened up and he slowly raised himself up from the bed by prompting himself up by his elbows. So interested to figure out what the noise was that he didn't quite notice his surroundings in the room. The sound was gurglingly sound from someone in the house, not to mention a strong sickly smell. Then suddenly it dawned on him, he wasn't in his own apartment and he noticed on the floor his clothes all lying in a heap along with some others that weren't his.

"_Can it be…?" _

The sound from the hallway stopped at this point and not long afterwards a trail of footsteps could be heard on the wooden floorboards in the hallway. Entering back into the room, lo and behold, it was none other than Fang. Wearing a grey housecoat and looking very pale, she had been sick by the looks of things, Fang was anything but a pretty picture.

"Were you throwing up through there?" Asked Snow as Fang sat down beside him rubbing her mouth.

"Well only the two of us live here you know," Fang said dryly, "but I think I'll be ok now, hopefully." Even if they had slept with each other last night, it did seem rather amusing of how Fang didn't seemed bothered by it all, the tall blonde could only assume that he was now officially her boyfriend by all accounts.

Even how relaxed she looked despite being sick to an extent, Snow couldn't believe his luck at how all these events seem to come together, this gorgeous woman hadn't thrown him out of the house yet if he had fucked up for some reason last night, and maybe his luck was changing. "How long have you been on the toilet for?" He asked her after a brief moment of silence.

The bronze skin woman let out a weary sigh and she fell backwards onto the bed. "Nearly half an hour I guess," Fang replied, "I just woke up about nearly seven in the morning and had the feeling just to puke."

The blonde was stumped. All he did remember was that she was in her normal mood, well normal if anyone knows Fang, and now she was looking like a wreak. Snow could only suggest that she must have had a bad beer last night, even by then he was lost to drink.

"But don't worry," Snow comforted wrapping his arms around her pulling her close to him. "Anything does happen, I'm here for you."

Fang's eyes looked over to him and she gave a small sly smile to his words. "Stuck with me as ever," Fang added as she laid her head on her new lover's chest.

An interment amount of silence followed, as the two of them lay close enjoying each one's company. Snow gently rubbed his hand down her smooth arm, enjoying the feeling. He may of lost Serah (now starting to become a distant memory) and she might have tragically lost Vanille, but they both knew though that as long they had each other, they'd be not alone.

**XXX**

Although Fang said she'd be all right earlier that day, after breakfast, she was proven wrong. She puked up her breakfast not long after they had had it, and said to Snow she'd head off to the local doctor some distance from her home. For Snow, the NORA gang leader decided, with nothing else to do, help out Mir and Maqui (still studying for his prelims while there helping the older man out) with the X-92. Even if it wasn't the sort of thing for him, it still saved him for being bored out of his (brainless by Lightning!) skull.

Much to Snow's surprise when he went over to the X-92's hanger, some work was taking place such as refueling, pumping up the landing tires and various bits of scaffolding around on parts of the ship. The pair must have been inside the craft with various hammering sounds going on. With the ramp out, Snow walked up to find them. Not surprisingly, the two of them were in the cockpit area with Maqui studying over his notes (exactly why he choose this piece of iron to study in escaped Snow to no end) and Mir was bending down working on something.

"Hey Snow!" Maqui said once noticing him, catching the attention of Mir in the process.

"Hey there lad," Mir smiled standing up and shaking Snow's hand. "So what brings you over here then?"

"Well amazing what boredom brings now, isn't it?" Snow smirked.

The fireman shook his head. "Well unless you know the difference between a nut and bolt then it is a bit for the technical minded here."

"Well…" Snow replied pausing for a moment, feeling rather nervous how he was going to say this.

"…Yeah?" Maqui asked waiting for Snow's question.

"I've…well, got my eye on someone." Snow nearly looked away from them, which both Mir and Maqui looked at each other with their jaws slightly dropped.

"Way to go, Snow!" Maqui cheered nearly punching his fist in the air.

Mir chuckled crossing his arms. "Ahh, always bouncing back from things, nice move Snow if I say so myself. So what's it you've _really _come for?"

The tall blonde nearly lost his voice for what he was going to say, he couldn't say he was actually in a relationship in this moment or even if they girl was Fang, especially not long before the mission. Maybe if he asked the older man some advice to make sure he wouldn't fuck up like Serah.

"Erm, Mir," Snow asked, bit of uncertainty in his voice. "You have any advice for relationship wise?" It was almost not like Snow in the slightest to say it, even if he had already been in one. Maqui look at Snow dumbfounded, trying to believe what had Snow said was true.

The fireman found himself in an uncomfortable situation. What on Pulse was he suppose to do? He had only been in one very brief relationship when he was in his teenage years he can recall, other from that, he was hopeless to give Snow an answer. Then he remembered something, something that his dad had said many years ago about relationships with a certain someone. _"Perfect" _he thought triumphantly.

"Well, I can give you some," Mir finally said as they sat down on the two cockpit seats.

"Fire away then," Snow replied.

"Well the thing is, I'm not too big on getting into a relationship with someone, but I do know a few things that maybe I can help you with." Mir began, working the words in his head. "The main thing is you and the girl have a similar personality-wise, even if she's not the most beautiful thing ever, you'd still be a perfect couple."

Snow and Maqui listened more and more like they were being told a lesion from their dad. "If you do find a girl who has your sort of love of things and is a sexy beast, then you've hit the jackpot I guess."

The NORA gang leader thought about Mir's words in his head. He and Fang both seem to bounce off very well and she had the looks that could kill (or as Mir would put if looks could kill Fang would be a rocket launcher, the dirty old man had told him not long ago!)

Mir paused for a moment thinking of his words before starting again. "And when you and that girl get together, it's a fifty-fifty job, you help her and she helps you. And whatever happens to your girl, don't loose her and protect her always." The fireman was even surprised of how bold his own words were, not mention Snow and Maqui listening to his little pep talk.

Snow then extended his hand out to shake Mir's hand. "Thanks for that," Snow smiled. It may have been crap Mir might have said, but it was all he needed.

**XXX**

Snow stayed with the pair for a few hours helping out with them. Thanks to his strong strength, he could help out on some big jobs like holding a heavy piece of metal while Mir placed it on. By the time Snow was done, it had started to rain and he only knew that the house of the goddess he stayed with would be his refuge. Oh how his heart had risen for her in such a short time. Maybe somewhat a bit _too_ short…

Entering the house, Snow was surprise to find the house rather quiet. He knew Fang would maybe have the TV on or something, but this didn't feel right. "Fang?" He asked walking into the living room.

There sitting on the couch, looking like she had failed an exam, was Fang and a bit of paper beside her. Had she been crying? It most certainly looked like that.

Snow lean down to touch her shoulder. "Hey Fang, what's the—"

"Get out," Fang's words stabbing him, she was furious.

Snow leaned back with his hands up slightly. "Is something—"?

"Get out!" Fang now snapped at him looking at him with fire in her eyes. What happened next seemed so unexpected for Snow. Last night he and her were together happily, and now he found himself on the doorstep of the house with Fang slamming the door in his face.

For all the creatures of Pulse he had been up against, Fang had been a whole different kind of kettle of fish. Looking and feeling shell-shocked, a completely different Snow made his journey back to his flat. What had happened?

It would be a question that would plague him right up until the mission.

**

* * *

Oh dear oh dear! What's made Fang kicked Snow out of the house? Things will be told later on, So I leave you on a cliffhanger, I'm so evil ain't I? If you want to see Snow and Fang find happiness then review or Snow remain sad of good and Fang being quite bitchy. On a side note though, why do bitchy girls always look cute when they're angry? Guess it's just me. Review anyway to keep me going on this!**


	8. At The Mercy

**Sorry for the little delay and maybe the next one as I'll be going down to Yorkshire for a little trip, but anyone, a few notes. This is a really _strange _chapter. Not saying that it is good or that it is bad, just really out of place this one feels like if you ask me. To sum it up, try and ignore this part if you can once the next chapter comes along (which I do know will be a lot better than this as I have planned it out right to the last detail.) Working on this chapter just felt strange and, TBH, not fun in the slightest. Do I hate this part? Quite possibly, but that is reserved for chapter 2 (URG!) **

**I do admit that I'am sorry if this part has various problems with it being rushed as I was dying to get this one out of the way. The dreaded lack of patience is a terrible thing isn't it? But as much as I said about hated this one, this is an important part that needs to be put in to connect the dots to go on the the final ark of the fanfic (which I see going on for at least 3 chapters more.) **

**But hopefully you'll might enjoy it, tell that you do and It'll maybe brighten my day. So on you go...**

* * *

**Part 8**

**At The Mercy**

To say things weren't looking too good for Snow was, to be honest, the understatement of the century. To make matters worse, as this would have been the day they would be flying with Mir in the X-92 to guard Skybreaker two, was put back for another week. The reason being unfortunately that due to a major fault on the Skybreaker, repairs had to be carried out, leaving NORA and Mir without anything to do, or maybe as NORA might of thought so. As there was nothing else for the young gang to do, Mir decided to save them from boredom to rub down the surface of the X-92 so that it can have a repaint. Of course there were no money to give the old ship to give it a full restoration program, so it was always best to make a start from somewhere.

While the gang helped out (with Mir barking commands at them to be careful in important place!) The gang all noted of Fang's absence from them. For Snow, he felt pretty much guilty for why Fang wouldn't turn up and that she wasn't speaking to him most of all. So what was wrong with Fang? Snow did have his thoughts, thought wouldn't tell any of NORA about it.

With this being the blistering hot month of June, the gang was sweating down bucketfuls from the amount of work they were giving out to Mir's ship. So much so that Snow, Yuj and Gadot were stripping themselves off their upper clothes ware (Mir then said later on it was like he had hired a gay group of cleaners to help him out.) The main idea was to rub out all the rust marks on the craft right down to it's original surface so that when the time came to eventually to re-paint the craft that the workers wouldn't have much hard work to. Though by the time the gang had finished rubbing it down, it looked more hideous than ever.

Despite this grueling task that anyone who could take their mind off whatever was troubling them, this didn't help for poor old Snow. The moment of Fang throwing him out of the house still burned in his head like fire and was crystal clear remembering every detail, something that what haunt him for years to come? He'd gladly have that memory swapped it round with his days as an l'cie. Though He was not the only one who she was keeping her distance from.

Mir and NORA had all reported that she'd keep quiet about things and would only give them a brief 'hi' or something similar whenever she did meet them. So what was Fang up to? As the week on, the blonde tried to make sense of it all, but that night of them being drunk blocked out everything else.

**XXX**

Another day at Lebreau's bar means another day at work for a certain bronze skinned woman. Placing on her white apron in the backroom, Fang knew that with her keeping her distance away from Mir, NORA and _him_ in practical, they all knew she was keeping something from them. No matter how best a secret can be kept, it will eventually be found out by all.

"Hurry up, Fang!" Came the sound of Lebreau's voice from the main bar. "Everyone is starting to come in soon."

"Alright then." Fang replied back softly, thought she had an idea…

Ever since first meeting with Lebreau, Fang had always had a good chat at times with her discussing about various matters. If Fang were ever going to spill the beans for anything she was keeping secret, Lebreau would be the first. Walking through the doorframe into the main bar, she notice her cleaning a glass humming some random tune, Fang knew she'd have to tell her what was on her mind.

"Hey, come here," Fang said, motioning her to come into the backroom.

The bar owner looked at her with a confused look wondering what was going on, but followed her into the room anyway. Lebreau couldn't understand what was going on with her workmate, first Fang was keeping things to herself, and now wanted her to show or tell her something. Once in, Fang kept herself being silent at first looking at the floorboards before finally beginning to speak.

"Well, bit unexpected this moment, don't you think?" Fang began looking not sure if she wanted to explain to Lebreau what was wrong.

"You've been keeping yourself away from us," Lebreau replied as they sat down on two crates. "So what has been going then?"

Fang let out a shaky sigh before continuing. "…Well, I don't know how to say this without you being slightly shocked or whatever." She said dryly, stroked back a bit of her hair. "But the thing is, that…"

"…Go on," Lebreau said leaning in a bit closer.

The Raven-haired woman then shook her head in disagreement and lowered her head with what she would of said. "No…just, no…"

The younger woman let out a small groan of Fang not telling her now of what was the matter. "You know me, I won't tell anyone," she answered hopefully for Fang to continue.

Fang then looked up to her again. "…Promise?"

"A promise is a promise."

Fang couldn't understand how she was in this state. She had battled and won over some of Gran Pulse's most dangerous monsters, so why couldn't she say this little secret to Lebreau? Life is just strange at times.

"Alight then," Fang replied sighing. "I can say that I'll be going with you guys on this mission, even though...Well, the thing is…"

Whatever it was that Fang had told Lebreau, which as she expected her to be shocked, the secret was only known between them. The rest of NORA and Mir would be oblivious to Fang's dilemma.

**XXX**

After the mechanical delays that surrounded Skybreaker two and making sure that it's powerful bomb, Solance, were fit for flight, the night had finally come for the big event.

The mission was a simple one for NORA and Mir, fly alongside the Skybreaker to make sure it wouldn't go missing when the would fly from the Air Force base at New Palumpolum to the air site at Bodhum where the bomb 'Solace' would be decommissioned, reason being that it had to be taken to Bodhum was that it was the only site that had the capability to do these certain tasks. If the mission were successful, they would be given a large reward for helping out, even if they just flew by the Skybreaker.

As the flight would start from Palumpolum, Mir had suggested to the gang to ride in his ship for the journey over the sea (New Bodhum was built a large island that could only be accessible by ship or aircraft.) Despite Mir's kind offer for letting have a ride on his shuttle, the NORA gang said it would be safer to fly over in a 'safer' aircraft as the X-92 looked like it was on its last legs. Now it can be noted that neither member of the gang have enough money for a fast flight to Palumpolum, to sum it up, the fast the flight, the more expensive it is to ride. To find the money needed, the gang almost pleaded to Lebreau to give them some of the money she had earned from the bar, to say that she wasn't too pleased that she lost nearly all her profits for this flight was something of a small understatement.

Nevertheless the gang did find themselves quite pleased of themselves when they landed at Palumpolum airport thinking that Mir's rust bucket of a ship must've collapsed in flight, though thoughts of this were shattered when they saw the X-92 sitting alongside the other modern aircraft near a hanger. The gang practically kicked themselves for wasting gil at such an expense; still Mir found it all very amusing teaching them a lesion. He had also mentioned to the gang that he always loved coming here as he could always rely on a dodgy deal to help out on his craft, even if it was disastrous.

Once again before they were due to fly alongside the Skybreaker that night (the large aircraft was safely stored in the large hanger nearby) Maqui had come over to help out with Mir for final checks and whatnot before launch. Everyone seemed rather humbled by the two's friendship, as if it was like a farther-son relationship. With them with a keen interest technology wise and a love for the X-92, it did show how much they got along with each other.

The young seventeen-year-old was fixing on a set of dodgy wiring systems while Mir was checking if the craft had all the right fuel levels and perfectly working systems. During this, Maqui had been thinking about something that had only come to him fully on the flight to here.

"Just wondering," Maqui spoke up, catching Mir's attention sitting on his pilot seat.

"Yeah lad? Like what?" The older man asked turning around on his seat.

"Notice how…different Snow seems to be around Fang?" Maqui asked wiping away some dirt smug on his face.

Mir raised his eyebrow. "Huh? You mean he's not always shy like?"

"Of course not," Maqui replied now sitting beside him on the other pilot chair. "I mean he's always bit of loud mouth if I say so myself."

"A loud mouth leader? Bloody hell," Mir chuckled while rolling his eyes. "I Have pity on your soul and friend's souls then."

The young member had to at least raise a small grin. "Well the thing is…I think he might have an eye for Fang."

"Fang!" Mir nearly gasped nearly falling of his seat as well. "Snow and Fang? Tell me you're pulling my leg, lad?"

"Why? What's wrong with that thought?"

"Fang and Snow as a couple? If they have a chance to have a family then they'd have twelve kids! Two nutters if you ask me" By this point Mir was laughing his head off.

Maqui now felt quite embarrassed by what he had said. He just had to be thankful he hadn't said it to an audience. "…Just a suggestion."

The fireman now started to calm down from his laughing outburst. "But really though…" Mir now said in a serious tone. "I really can't see those two getting together. If she wants a man in her life then by the way she would want a handsome man, Snow looks like my late Uncle Bob, and he was an ugly fellow let me tell you."

An awkward silence followed after that. Even if what Mir was saying was perhaps maybe true or not, Maqui had to agree that maybe Fang wasn't Snow's type, she could handle herself in the faces of danger and so forth. Serah was the girl a hero would want that they could save. Too bad it didn't go down well with Snow in the end.

"Then why is he acting like that around her?" Maqui pouted.

Mir sighed looking at the cockpit window. "Don't really know to be honest. Maybe the breakup with his ex is still with him and maybe she reminds him of his ex maybe." He then looked over to the young adult. "But I will admit that Fang has looks that kill a behemoth."

Maqui stared at him, since when did _he _have an eye for the Pulsian woman?

"Though I think too old to be chasing her," Mir continued sinking back into his chair. "I'm thirty-one, I'm passed that stage."

Then Maqui thought that he could of seen some sadness in the older man's eyes. Surely he could deserve some happiness.

"But hey, it's not all bad news. I can marry people legally remember? So if you find a girl after this mission and want to get married soon…well, I'm cheap to go by."

"How many have you married then to date?"

Mir had a small grin on his face. "Well the number as it stands is…zero. Only as I haven't had time to do that sort of stuff on missions I've been given. Though I have met others on similar missions like this and I've detected some forms or love here and there."

The fireman suddenly stood up and walked over towards the hanger area of the ship. "For me, I'm really a lover and not a fighter, only if I'm asked to fight that is."

Maqui sat there with a new sense of pity for the fireman, though they were clouded with thoughts over anything with Snow and Fang. Whatever was going on with them, he would find out sooner or later, but maybe not tonight.

**XXX**

During the daytime, the airport has a rather normal feel to it, but at night, it was an incredible sight to behold. The sight of airplane taillights and engine exhausts heading into the clouds lighting up the sky like a lamp ten was all what an average delayed passenger could admire while they waited for their flight.

Leaning back on the leg gear of his shuttle, Mir watched in slight awe as out of the massive hanger came out an equally large aircraft. Skybreaker Two. This thing was a monster, such as looking like it was two big to fit on the runway literally. Its two massive wings had four engines and two on they back on the tail fin. All these great engines were needed just to simply get the thing of the ground. It was all painted black and with it being nighttime, no doubt that it could blend in with the night. Though Mir was watching the spectacle, he wasn't the only one watching.

With the class being such a legendary aircraft, many aircraft enthusiasts, as well as airport staff, all came out with cameras to watch the craft take off, though they all had the shock of their life when they saw Mir's X-92 as they had all thought all the class had been scraped. At first, the fireman didn't mind all the attention, but they began to get on his nerves when they ask him if they could get inside, which Mir told them, quite polity, to fuck off.

As the Skybreaker was being led onto the runway path, team NORA arrived just in time to watch the take off.

"Bloody big thing," Mir said to them while still watching the Skybreaker. "Hard to imagine that on it is a bomb that can destroy half of Gran Pulse."

The rest all muttered in agreement with him, also watching the sight. Before they were due to fly off in the X-92 Shuttle, they had time to head down to a local bar nearby. Everyone, expect Maqui of course and even strangely Fang, had headed on down to the bar to drink for their hopeful successful mission.

Most of all was that Snow was back to his good self again. Maybe the thought of going out on a great mission must've filled his confidence, as well as the gang all thinking the same. "Guys ready for this?" Snow said hopefully to them.

"Ready as always," Gadot replied turning to look at Snow.

"Oh we're going somewhere alright in Mir's flying rust bucket!" Joked Maqui. Resulting himself to get a glare from Mir.

"…It'll be ok," said Fang with a small smile, though looked devoid of energy.

The others looked at her with some confused looks, thought Lebreau knew why Fang was like this. Though they nearly had a small fright when they heard a noise coming from inside the craft, which Mir rushed in to see what it was. He ran back to them after seeing what it was. "Ok lads and lassies, let's hop it. Let's get going."

The gang followed Mir into the craft to take their seats. A small bulb up the roof of the cockpit gloomily lighted the inside of the cockpit. Mir and Maqui sat in the two front seats; Snow and Gadot sat in the other two behind them, Yuj sat in the centre seat behind them and Fang and Lebreau sat behind him. While they were safely strapped in waiting for the 'go' to head to the runway pad, they still had their doubts that the shuttle would collapse to pieces on the flight, let alone take of the ground.

After pressing a switch that pulled the entrance platform up, a small buzzing sound was heard coming from the speaker on the control panel (which the control panel itself is best described of being terrifyingly more like a steam train's controls rather than a plane's controls.) The sound was that someone was trying to contact them.

"Hello, Daedaleus here waiting for reports," said Mir as he pressed a button that allowed him to talk to whoever it was.

"Roger Daedaleus, ground control speaking," replied the crackled voice.

"What our status, over?"

"You now have permission to head in the line for take off along with the Skybreaker."

"Thank you, control. Heading over now." And with that, Mir cancelled out the call. "Well guys, its Showtime. Ok Maqui, put her into land driven."

"Right then," Maqui replied as he pulled down a gear stick shifting the power to its landing wheels. With that down, Mir began to gently move the shuttle forward, by pushing an accelerator stick, ever so slowly, stranger to the rest of the gang was that it didn't rattle as such and went along like a kitten.

The shuttle kept moving slowly until it stopped behind the Skybreaker, which lay almost a good few feet away from them. "Put us back on to Flight mode, lad." Mir ordered as Maqui pulled the gear lever putting the craft onto flight mode.

A sense of excitement and nervousness was all that could have been felt in the cockpit. It may have been that thirty seconds may have passed, but it felt like almost an hour for the Skybreaker to lead off. Then the engines on the larger craft fired up, emitting a powerful blue flame, not to mention a tremendous sound, for launch. Slowly it moved off forward, and then began to get faster and faster until it lifted off from the ground leaving a trail of white smoke in its wake.

"Daedaleus you have a go for take off," said the voice in the radio.

"Copy that, going throttle up," replied Mir as he activated the engines on the X-92. Though they could here it's loud sound, they couldn't see how bright the engines were at the back, though on the side of the cockpit window a glowing orangey-yellow. Suddenly they found themselves fired back into their seats as the old ship roared across the runway for its takeoff. Once it managed to get off the ground, the craft began to shake, much to the shock of the younger members on board. Nevertheless it roared off the ground and followed the larger aircraft closely behind.

"Ground control this is Daedaleus speaking," Mir called flicking the mic button. "We are now safely away, all systems go."

"Copy that Daedaleus," replied the voice. "Good luck you two, over and out."

Now, if any of the gang had any doubts of turning back, there was no chance of turning back now. The mission had begun.

**XXX**

Shortly after take off, Mir gave the group permission to unfasten their seatbelts, which a chorus of clicks followed. Mir and Maqui kept a close on the Skybreaker below them, a whole night and day to keep watch on it. While most of them admired how the thing hadn't lost any parts on take off and that nothing was being held up by sticky tape. Fang though, didn't have anything to say.

All she did was kept sitting in her chair not giving a damn about the rest on board.

"Hey Fang," came Snow's voice, which didn't look at him.

"What?" Fang slightly growled at him.

"Aren't you getting up and explore—"

"Move it," she interrupted as she stood up and went to one of the bedrooms on board. "It's your fault you got me like this!" She didn't want to even see his face at least, let alone speak to him.

Snow and the gang suddenly all went silent and stared, stunned at Fang's outburst. The tall blonde though couldn't understand what was wrong, was it something he said? "What did I do?" He asked turning around to look at his gang, which he noticed that Lebreau looked rather furious.

"_Damn it Fang!" _Lebreau thought angrily. _"You and your big mouth. Looks like I'll have to tell them anyway." _

The young woman stepped forward. "...There is something with Fang." The rest looked at her (minus Mir who was flying the craft.) "I was told to keep this a secret with her, but now that she has let it out, well, I'll have to confess."

"Then what is it then?" Asked Snow.

Lebreau did look rather hesitant to say whatever she had to say. "Snow…she's pregnant."

* * *

**Uh-oh! Plot twist! Now some of you reading the last chapter would have thought of it anyway, so I guess this could've been done just to confirm it then I guess. Now the next chapter will be sometime away as I mentioned at the top, so in the meantime, review please if you want more, and besides, the next chapter will be better. Just what will Snow do to help out Fang? Will review and find out and we'll see. Until then, see you guys later. **


	9. This Never Happened Before

**...I really I'm starting to lose interest with this now, I'm serious. Now with my easter break (now coming to an end at this time of writing) I was hoping to get more chapters out with this fic, but so many things have gotten in the way over this break that I've really haven't had anytime to do anything with this. After not liking the last chapter, I was hoping this one would be better and save the fic, yet I started with great thoughts and had the whole thing pretty well clearer in my head which what you will read is mostly straight from that. I starting the first sentence thinking this would be good, then I suddenly hit rock bottom with this. It's always a strange thing isn't it? How what you think are you least best chapters are always the ones that people really like and that your best are the worst, odd that isn't it? **

**Now although I said I'm losing a bit of interest in this fic, I didn't mean the SnowxFang couple. I'am hoping to write some oneshots on them to buff up the SxF set of fanfics. Speaking of which id I'm being honest here, I do think I'm more suited for oneshot territory which that in mind can mostly work in my favour at times. I know I'm pretty much rambling on a bit with my author notes here, just that...you know. Also, I need to know what you think of my OC, Mir. I've tried to make him original and not being a gary-sue which is something I do not want from him or any other OC's I might come up with.**

**Well as much as I said this is one I feel pretty disappointed with, maybe one of you will enjoy it, so on you go... **

* * *

**Part 9**

**This Never Happened Before**

Had the Daedalus been a car or any land vehicle for that matter, Mir would have most likely had slammed on the breaks and screech to a halt after what Lebreau had said to them. All he could do though was turn round to look at her with a shocked expression, which the others did the same. Gadot and Yuj looked taken aback with Yuj nearly falling off his chair. Snow felt his blood turn to ice, he wasn't sure why, but he felt like he was partly responsible for Fang's current state.

"What!" Asked Yuj picking himself off the steel floor.

"That's right," Lebreau said calmly, looking like someone giving out a funeral. "Fang is going to have a baby."

"F-Fang's…pregnant…?" Asked a stunned Maqui, shaking slightly. "H-How d-did it happen?"

"Oh come on, how old are you?" Said Mir as he gave him a crossed expression.

"I'm not saying it like that!" The younger person replied back, "I'm just saying who is the culprit who got her pregnant?"

The nineteen-year-old woman sighed softly looking over to Maqui. "Well, I'm not sure. Fang is keeping it to herself who is the dad, she does know who it is, just doesn't want to say it."

Another uncomfortable silence followed, no one knew what to say or do. It had only been lucky though that the X-92 was on autopilot as Mir looked like he was about to have fit. As the captain of the ship, it was Mir's own responsibility to keep everyone save on this mission, and to have a pregnant woman onboard now was a terrible thought for him. Finally though, Gadot broke the silence.

"How long has she been pregnant for?" He asked.

"Nearly two weeks though," Lebreau replied, "I told her not to go on this mission in that state but…" she bit her bottom lip before continuing. "…She wanted to do this."

"Stupid woman," Mir growled slightly. "So she never tells us about it, except you lass, and feels the need to still do this."

As the others looked at Mir, Snow's eyes suddenly widened when something horrible dawned on him. That night out with Fang started to become clearer in his head. Though the rest of the night was hazy, it was all coming to be clearer in his head. All he remembered was a glorious pleasure and Fang's voice growling for more of him in her. Snow felt a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. With Fang being nearly two weeks pregnant and her hostility to him, it was all becoming clear. _He _was the farther of the baby. Either his son or daughter was beginning life inside Fang.

"Snow?" Asked Yuj. Snow suddenly released he had been staring into space for lord knows how long and the others had just looked at him in that time. "What's the matter?"

The tall blonde had a big dilemma, how was he suppose to explain this to them? He was going to bite the bullet and tell them the truth. "…Guys," Snow began scratching the back of his head. "I think…I think I should tell you guys about all of this."

"About what? Asked Lebreau.

Snow took in a long shaky sigh before starting. He now seemed to have lost his confidence. "I…I know…who the Dad is." He lowered his head slightly with the rest looking at him waiting for an answer.

To the rest of the group, with the fact that Snow had been rather close with Fang for the last few days now, if anyway else apart from Lebreau was Fang ever to tell any secrets, then Snow would be the one. "…Well who then?" Asked Yuj crossing his arms waiting for an answer.

Snow looked around the cockpit room trying to think it out how they would react to Snow's confession. "Well…" He began. "…I-I'm...the dad." And he covered his face with his hand. A gasp was heard from the rest of them. Yuj and Gadot nearly fell backwards; Lebreau covered her mouth in shock and Maqui's face turned white as a sheet.

Mir on the other hand had at first been shocked like the rest of them, but his facial expression showed them that he was furious with Snow, almost like Fang had been Mir's own daughter and Snow would pay. As the captain of the ship, it was his responsibility to make sure all his passengers were safe, and to have a pregnant woman on board was going to complicate matters for Mir. To top it of as well that the culprit who made Fang in her current state was that was in the craft with them was the cherry on the cake for Mir.

"You idiot," Mir whispered lowly shaking his head, before standing up. "You great fucking idiot!" This made everyone else nearly jump at his almost none-existent temper. "What the hell where you thinking, Snow?"

"It wasn't like that!" Snow said back at the angry Fireman, "we were both drunk that night, went back to her place and…"

The place deadly silent, the only sound being the X-92's and the Skybreaker's engines blaring. Mir suddenly clamed down and sank back onto his chair. "Well, what can I say?" He answered softly. "Isn't this a hell of a good time for confessions?"

"Now what are you going to do then?" Asked a cross Maqui, looking highly annoyed with their leader.

Snow turned his back on them, hating the thought of having all those angry eyes on him, looking down on a control desk of various sheets of paper work all over it, only maker knows what Mir had to do with any of these sheets of works. Then Snow had an idea, a crazy typical one from Snow of course, but one that could sort out these problems, in a small way, for good. A small grin emerged on his face, as he turned round to look at them.

"I have an idea," Snow announced turning around, "I'm going to make this all right between me and Fang." The others looked at each other with some confused looks.

"What do you propose then?" Asked Gadot.

The NORA gang leader looked over to Mir with his grin slowly turning into a smile. "It's one that I'll need your help for, Mir."

The fireman blinked in surprise at Snow's words. "My help? For what?"

Snow started walking towards the room where Fang was located in, before turning his head round to look at Mir. "You'll see…" And with that, left the room.

While Snow seemed comfortable with what ever he was thinking of, the others could only assume that Snow had signed a death wish to head into the same room as Fang was in.

"_Hope to the maker that I won't have to clean up Snow's blood after what he's going to do," _Mir thought uncomfortably.

**XXX**

As much as Fang seemed to hate Snow's guts for what he had gotten her into his state, another part, an oddly warmer part, still held her fondness for him. It was she could think of as she sat on one of the bunk-type beds in the room she was in, clutching her slightly swollen belly. The bronze-skinned beauty could only imagine what good old Vanille would of said about Fang's pregnancy, She could only imagine that Vanille would have been in shock and probably kick Snow's ass first, (oh yes, she wasn't all a goodie-too-shoo…) and then would of loved the thought of being an aunt to the baby. This thought did manage, very briefly, to help her raise a smile.

Whenever Fang liked it or not, she was going to be a mother in a few months time. Fang did knew that with her little strop leaving on them that Lebreau would of spilled the beans on what was her dilemma. Although she was carrying a child in her, she still wanted to keep it a secret, and of course she had to ruin it. She did remember a small tradition in her home village that if a woman was pregnant that she would have to exercise for quite a bit to make sure the baby was healthy. The idea of showing that on this mission must have been completely alien to them. So much was Fang deep in thought that she didn't hear Snow enter the room.

"Staying here all by yourself?" He asked causing her to nearly fall backwards onto the bed. "Oh, sorry about that, Fang."

"Sorry for what?" Fang growled picking herself up giving him daggers of death from her eyes. "That fright or this?" She looked down at her belly.

Snow smiled casually as he leaned against the metal doorframe before walking up to her sitting beside on the bed. "Both really."

Fang kept a slight distance from him. Though he was starting to grind on her nerves, she somewhat felt giddy being beside him, and that wasn't caused by her pregnancy. "Oh really? And I guess that you being the hero as ever have a plan to help me out."

The blonde gave a small chuckle. "Well yes," he replied pulling her close, almost risking it to get a slap or worse…"Yes I may not be the smartest person in the world—"

"What an understatement!" Fang interrupted, her voice starting to rise up a bit. She now understood why Lightning had such a grudge against him for being with her younger sister.

"Well if you let me talk, I'll tell you," Snow replied calmly cupping the side of her check. "Ok, there is no way out of the situation we're in, but even if we don't come back alive from this mission, at least we can be happy."

The raven-haired woman stared at him, forgetting that Snow had his hand on her check. "…What are you on about?" She asked softly.

Snow suddenly, quite gently, placed his forehead against Fang's. "With the help of Mir, we can get married right now."

Fang nearly coughed in shock. Whoa, hold on there, red light, dead end. Was this the craziest thought Snow had cooked up? Quite possibly knowing what misadventures Snow had gotten his friends into. "You what…!"

"I mean it!" Snow replied assuring her keeping a grip on her arms. "Remember that Mir has legal rights to marry people, yeah, asking him to do it now would no doubt put more thoughts on his shoulders…"

Fang was still lost for words; it was all going too fast for even the likes of her. All she could do was blink as she stared at him.

"I know we could wait until we get back but…" Snow paused.

"'But' what?" Fang asked, voice now lowering itself.

Snow looked back at her again"…This maybe could be our only chance if something happens. Even if we do die, people will know that we died as a married pair with a kid on the way."

The Gran Pulsian born woman just didn't know what to do. The thought of marrying on a flying craft, let alone being on a mission, sounded all too ridiculous for her. But then again, being married to Snow…it was a thought that made her feel quite warm about herself. Maybe she…

This time it was Snow who was surprised when Fang leaned in for kiss wrapping her hands around his neck. Snow was a bit stunned by this, but nevertheless returned the kiss as the two of them fell back onto the bed. Snow was careful around her with the unborn baby, but Fang seemed more than willing in the kiss to let Snow have control of her body.

After the kiss, Snow looked down at her seeing that she was relaxed. Judging by that, it was fair to say that Snow had seemed to won her over with his idea. "You sure hell know how to charm a girl let me tell you," Fang said with that cocky smile of hers. "Not to mention that you'll be a great Dad."

Snow smiled down at her, enjoying the moment. Now that he had won Fang over with his idea, the big idea now was to try and convince the rest for this idea to take place.

**XXX**

Since Snow had ventured into that room, the others were worried about his safety knowing how dangerous she could be. By now the sun was starting to rise over the horizon bringing with it a new day. Now a normal aircraft would have landed in Bodhum by now, but because the Skybreaker was so damn large and having to be careful with that bomb that they had been going at such at a slow speed, Mir was at times worried that the slower they went that both aircrafts might stall in the air and come crashing down. To try and keep their mind of the subject matter, they had been discussing about any random subject.

"It is rather ironic how we all thought Gran Pulse was said to be hell," Mir said to them while keeping an eye out on the Skybreaker below them. "Then we find out that it is paradise here and we all end up living here. Wonder what Dad would say about that?"

"Don't know," Maqui replied checking the fuel levels. "Maybe freak out at what it's really like here." The others seem to agree.

Mir smiled at him. "Possibly, then again my Dad was quite the crazy person mind you. With the wide open spaces here, he would of loved to fly the ship here, even if we have any dangerous wild flying animals after us."

A small chuckle was heard from behind him, but that wasn't by Lebreau, Yuj or Gadot, but by someone else. Turning to look behind him, he was startled (as were the others) to see not only Snow alive in one piece, holding Fang's hand in his hand quite tightly. How Snow had seemed to survive was anyone's guesses.

"Listen up, Mir." Fang ordered looking directly at him.

"Err, yes. What is it?" Mir asked nervously noticing in slight awe of them holding each others hands, let alone thinking that they must had worked out something in that room.

Snow looked down at his bronze-skinned lover with a smile before looking at the fireman. "I know this may sound a bit crazy but…"

"Another crazy idea," Yuj muttered looking unimpressed.

"…Mir, marry us," Snow answered looking back at Fang.

The ship went completely silent. For what had happened so far…Finding out Fang was going to have a baby, Snow being the farther and now this…this was no doubt the cherry on the cake of all things that had happened today.

Maqui was frozen to the spot with his jaw hanging open. "I-Is this a joke?"

"He's right," Mir replied looking over to Maqui. "This is a joke, isn't it? How much can this day get any worse?"

The others looked all too shock to utter a word. To be honest, this never happened before for NORA to be lost for words.

"It's not a joke," Fang said looking at them dead on, "even if we don't get out of this alive then at least everyone would know that we died as a married pair with a kid in the oven." Remembering the same thing that Snow had said to her about the idea. All eyes then turned to look at Mir to take on this unexpected marriage.

The whole idea of doing a wedding at this moment in time on a aircraft up over the sea somewhere sounded like something out of a rushed story, but as long as Snow and Fang were absolutely sure about this and that the rest of NORA would act as witnesses to this service, then it as all down to Mir to pull it all off.

"Well then, erm," the fireman began, "let's get down to business." He started looking through various draws looking for any legal marriage papers, which thankfully he managed to find a bundle of them (slightly dusty) and began to pick a set out to perform with.

The witnesses were seated down on the chairs while the soon-to-be married couple stood in front of Mir near the cockpit window. But Mir still had lingering doubts…

"Now for the last time," Mir asked, "are you really sure you want to—"

"Yes!" Snow and Fang said as one.

"Oh, ok then." Mir began reading the papers out. "Dearly beloved we are here today…"

Now when it came to weddings, wedding rings would be an important thing, but that wasn't needed for this being register type wedding and instead they wrote their names down on the sheet of paper (even if Fang's writing was in the style of the Gran Pulsian alphabet). Despite Mir stuttering slightly giving the fact he had never done this before, he did not too badly. When the names were wrote down, Mir went over to a fax type machine placing the sheets in it to prove their marriage to official sources; a nervous two minutes followed waiting for a reply back to approve it. Then a noise sounded from the machine and printed out a sheet from the marriage offices telling them that it was approved, and at exactly three minutes past four in the morning that day, Snow and Fang were a married couple.

Even if this was either the worst or best mistake ever, it was quite a happy moment for them all; Fang later commented that her married name 'Fang Villers' did have a nice ring to it.

**XXX**

Due to the ongoing mission, Mir had not informed the crew of the Skybreaker about the unexpected marriage knowing how much they were being kept busy keeping that powerful weapon, 'Solace', in a stable condition in case it went off.

For the last half an hour though, the new married couple had gone into one of the bedrooms that, well, it could be said to be a cheap honeymoon so to speak. The others had all felt somewhat bamboozled by it all.

"Just strange," Lebreau uttered out looking into blank space like the rest of them.

"What's strange?" Asked Gadot.

"I know said he was always looking forward for his wedding day, just never thought it would end up like this." She looked around at the old ship.

"Well it could've been worse," Mir replied pulling a gear up to check fuel levels and flipping the autopilot switch to manual. "I remember one time in the newspaper once that a couple wanting to say their vows skydiving back on Cocoon. Yeah, strange stuff." He voice had lost all its raspy tone and instead sounded like a tired sort who just gotten out of bed.

Then he felt his chair starting the shake, then it got fiercer, looking at the others they all felt the same with their chairs and seeing that the ship was shaking madly too. Then the master alarm system sounded which all power for the ship went out. "What the hell?" Mir grumbled trying to bring the X-92 back to full power.

Nothing worked.

The only things working were the radar and the radio mic. "Skybreaker Two this is 'Daedalus' speaking!" Mir called out grabbing the mic.

"Sir we're calling a mayday here!" Replied the captain of the Skybreaker, in which various voices were heard panicking and stuff.

By now, Snow and Fang had ran back into the cockpit room still putting some of their clothes on, maker knows what they had been up to through there…

It was only then that Mir and the rest noticed that both craft seemed to be turning left by themselves, almost like something was pulling at them. Then from one of the orange coloured clouds they saw something, a huge black object coming slowly out of the clouds, at the front was what seemed to be two giant doors opening up into a large black void. Looking back on the radar, there was nothing about apart from the Skybreaker.

"Maker help us," Mir whispered to himself sinking back into his chair.

* * *

**Yep, another cliffhanger, and a permeant one too if you don't review and ask me to carry on. Our heroes are captured, what is they have gotten themselves into and why? Yeah, I think I'm giving the game away already, bloody hell.**

**So as my little saying goes, 'that's yer lot!' So make my day brighter by telling me that this one was good and tell me you want more, I only see two more chapters to go at least, maybe the next one being a large one, though it can be a nightmare to write something that is nearly 9k words long, so until then, catch you later. **


	10. Instruments of Armageddon

**Oh for fuck sake! Stupid logging in system made me lose all my AN's and the massive amount of editing that went into this bloody chapter, bloody logging in service, aye yiya. But anyway...so you thought that I wasn't going to update this story? Look out...It's an update! Now you'll remember me saying that I was loosing interest in this fanfic in the last chapter, well a small number of you wanted me to keep going with this. Incredible what a small number of people can do don't you think? As I write this AN, the whole family is going apeshit getting themselves ready for, at the time of writing, my cousin's wedding tomorrow. With that and the Royal Wedding coming up very soon, don't even think of saying the word 'wedding' into me, ye gods! **

**Now when writing this, I was surprise to see how fun this one was to write out (still more fun than the last one I will say), maybe I just have a thing for writing stuff with the bad guys? Just seems a lot of fun to do so if I will say so, then again that's just the words from another dumb, lazy Scottish Fanfiction author. And on another note, I have a requested HopexLight fic coming up, though it's mainly based on around their daughter, so if I were you, you can put me on your 'Author Alert' thing, hopefully that'll be up soon once everything here calms down, or as calm as it'll ever be round where I live about. Now I'am quite surprised that this chapter was pretty smaller than what I hoped for as this was more of a warm up chapter for what will happen next. Originally this was suppose to be part of the big chapter coming up, but with so many things going on at once...yeah, cutting it was to save me from being lost in work that would never be finished. **

**But enough with that, I can see you want to rip into this chapter now, do you? I guess you do indeed. So without anything else, here is a nice fresh chapter for you all. Also, I fucking love the title for this chapter, hopefully you'll agree with that little fact, so on you go! **

* * *

**Part 10**

**Instruments of Armageddon**

Nothing they could do could help them get out of the situation they were in. Only thing they could do was watch in silence as the force of whatever it was that was pulling them in led the craft into the great black hole behind the opened doors. Such was the situation that on board knew what to do. Either panic for their lives or make phone calls to any relatives saying that they were going to die? No time for that as they were pulled more and more into the black abyss. What amazed both of them the most was how large the space was in the darkness. Now the Skybreaker is very large, the size of the monstrous machine made it look so small, and made the X-92 look like a fly on the wall!

Soon enough as soon as they were pulled in, everything on board went pitch black, they couldn't even tell if they were up or down as it was like the craft was standing in space. Then a rough clunk sound was heard, giving the ship a jolt indicating that they had landed. Trying to adjust to the surroundings, Snow leaned forward squinting his eyes trying to make out the exterior of wherever they were, though it was made the more difficult with the giant hanger bay doors closing. A loud, rumbling clang was heard meaning that the doors had shut.

All was silent, not even any of the gang's breathing could be heard as they stood there like sitting ducks. Then a blaring alarm sounded which brought with it a sudden burst of light into the cockpit. So intense was it that they had to cover their eyes from the great flash from being blinded almost. The alarm still sounded during this. The first to look out of the cockpit windows was Fang. Out of the window she was in slight awe how **huge **this hanger was; it was on a scale of having a medium sized town placed in it. All of it was in a metallic silver colour that glowed slightly with the help of the floodlights above them. Looking on to her right she saw Skybreaker Two sitting beside them and on her left, lo and behold, was none other than the missing Skybreaker!

The others all muttered to themselves once they all saw the lost Skybreaker sitting alongside them. Down on the ground level were thousands of people all dressed in black with a red stripe going down the side (matching with the mammoth sized ship) rushing towards the X-92 and Skybreaker Two. Many vehicles as well lied scattered all over the ground level, presumably to take them all around the vast area. Looking over to the right, they noticed the guards on the bottom attaching something the undercarriage of the Skybreaker with a long cable attached that led to one of the vehicles nearby. So much were they interested of what was going on that they hadn't noticed a group of them had headed over to the X-92 to plant the same thing on them.

Whatever it was placed on their undercarriage it made the craft jolt slightly. Suddenly the radio buzzed back into life. "Attention crew," Came a booming, yet strange accent. "You shall leave your craft immediately. Failure to do so and your ship shall be infected with cyanide gas."

They all went silent, looking at Snow thinking he might have something up his sleeve to get them out of this. 'Well Snow," Mir asked looking at him, "got any ideas to get through this?"

The rest looked at the NORA leader hoping for the same. Snow though couldn't think of anything. "No," he said sadly, "just go along with it."

The others felt a tinge of guilt in them when they heard Snow's words. Mir though had to follow along with it as he grabbed the mic to speak into it. "Now hear this, the captain speaking," Mir replied into the mic. "We shall come now." He placed the mic back on its stand. "Well fellows, let's have a walk then."

And without thinking of anything else, they did just that. Now the area with the loading ramp was still pretty dark with only some rays of light coming from the cockpit room. Opening up the ramp, more rays of light illuminated the room, they could see guards with guns awaiting them to come down the ramp. Being the captain, Mir went down first with Snow following behind. Once down the ramp and on to the ground level, they couldn't help but look around awe at the vast scale of it all.

"Hurry up Captain and your crew!" Boomed that voice again, which sounded like it was coming from a megaphone. "I'm not renowned for my patience!" Quite frighten by the sudden outburst, they followed the guards into one of the airport-like vehicles waiting to take them to possibly their prison. They noticed that the crew of the Skybreaker was being led to one of the vehicles for maybe the same fate as they were getting themselves into.

Getting inside the van like interior of this vehicle, they heard that booming voice again from a speaker system inside. "Attention crew of Groundhog thirteen," came the voice, "I want that crew brought to me immediately." The gang looked around at each other with worried looks. Just what was going on? It all seemed far to fast for them.

**XXX**

Looking out at the back window as they went further and further away from the crafts, the crafts looked completely inferior to the hanger bay itself. Mir was starting to wonder if he would see his beloved X-92 ever again, but he couldn't complain now as if he did, he thought he was going to get thrown off the ship and to his death.

What seemed like five minutes just to get to the over side of the hanger, the gang were led out into one of the many elevators on sight by two guards. Up and up they went to the top floor to meet this person who had captured them in the first place.

"Nervous?" Fang whispered to Snow with a small smile.

Snow looked over to his wife. "Guess you can say that," he whispered back, though he kept a brave face on what was going on.

The motley gang then when led into a large room, as soon as the doors of the elevator opened, with many classical style paintings hung up on all the walls. About five of these guards stood around the room with their machineguns in hand. But they weren't the ones that caught the attention of NORA and Mir. The person that caught their attention was about a head shorter than then, wore a maroon coloured housecoat type coat. He was quite an old person and when he turned to look at them, he had a fearsome look in his eyes that made the gang stuck to the spot.

"Good morning, NORA," The man said to them walking up to them, then he looked over to Mir. "And good morning to you, Mir Pacora. The Fireman." Now it was Mir's turn to look surprise.

"How'd you know who we are?" Yuj asked in disbelief at the fact that the person knew who they were.

"And who are you anyway?" Fang added, also looking quite stunned.

The old man gave them a twisted smile while placing his hands behind his back. "Ahh, the wonders of technology," he replied walking past them to look out the window onto the hanger, which they could see hundreds of people hurrying into the two Skybreakers, not to mention the hanger doors opening up. "To track a craft's movements and to know how close it is to us, we track them by hearing voices onboard."

He paused to look at them. "It was only useful to know that to introduce myself to you, my name is Marcus Nocall." The group gave each other curious looks to each other. "Oh yes, we could hear every little voice on board, even that heart warming wedding onboard, and the little moments in that room after…"

Snow and Fang slightly lowered their heads while the others looked quite disgusted in them. Marcus then looked down to Fang's belly. "Ah yes, the reason for the marriage was by that, interesting indeed." He looked at both Snow and Fang's appearances rubbing his chin in thought, "No doubt the child will be a handsome one, only if he or she will see another day after this."

Then Maqui looked back at Marcus shocked by his words. "But why do you want the Skybreakers for?"

The older man smiled at the younger NORA member when he heard this. "I was hoping someone would be curious at what was going on." He walked up to them. "As you know, onboard those two aircraft are the homing bombs 'Solace' and 'Risco', both have the power to blow apart Gran Pulse. Use both of them at the same time and every little being over the landscape will be eliminated."

Had Fang not been restrained by two of the guards, she would have thrown Marcus right out of the window. "Ahh yes, the Gran Pulsian woman," Marcus said rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "The last of your type if I'm correct. Well, your home which we all called hell back on Cocoon will become that very Hell we all dreamt it to be."

"But why'd you want to do this for?" Mir pouted, also held back by the guards.

Marcus looked over to the fireman with that twisted smile. "I was wondering when one was going to ask that." He walked back over to the window looking over the hanger. "I only wish to live my life out on my own terms. When Cocoon fell from the sky, we had the great opportunity of living a new life here in the sky over hell. Instead, we chose the lesser option of living in the hell below. Poor choice I will say." He paused to see the Two Skybreakers roaring back into life to leave the hanger. "…The only option will be to destroy every single life form, large and small, from the face of Gran Pulse."

Snow and the others looked at each other horrified at each other. "Why do this? You'll kill millions!"

The older man looked at Snow with no expression in his face. "You care about the useless race called 'mankind?'" The others starred at him confused by it all. "Mankind as we know is corrupt and pathetic." He walked over to a small silver table like structure in the room, pressing a button that turn on a hologram of all of Gran Pulse, a large red dot in the centre would have been them on it. "The race as we know it will eventually tare itself apart, I'm merely accelerating the process."

The noise from the two Skybreakers became more and more louder, catching the attention of the group and Marcus. Skybreaker thirteen had now left the hanger with its sister ship raring to go. Looking at the hologram, a small red dot from the larger red dot indicated that it was on its way.

"Observe my friends," Marcus said while looking at the sight, "the instruments of Armageddon at work." The NORA gang could only watch dejectedly as the next Skybreaker roared off from the hanger, leaving only the X-92 in the hanger looking intimidated by the hanger's massive size.

The sinister man looked up at the clock showing it just being past half past eight. "At exactly nine o'clock, the world as you knew it..." he said this calmly, then looked back to Fang to Fang practically, "this world _you_ once knew as home will be a barren wasteland."

The bronze skinned woman looked like she was on the verge of boiling point. "Destroying my homeland and killing everyone…you think you can top just that then?"

Marcus gave a slight chuckle walking up to her. "Of course, we have to destroy everyone and everything on this hellish land, but it doesn't mean that we can't have a souvenir from this land. As the last remaining member of your clan and anyone else from your era, you'll be a permanent monument to that." He looked over to the guards. "Bring her with me, send the rest to the prison cells with the others."

And on his command, two guards with weapons led Fang alongside Marcus to an open top like vehicle nearby. Snow felt both useless for loosing her to that bastard of a man, yet a part of him was raring to save her and even the world.

"Don't think you'll be able to do much to change the course of history," Marcus' voice said as the vehicle left, "even if you do escape, it'll all be too late."

Watching them leave, the NORA leader felt pretty reluctant to move into the prison van to take them to the prison deck. But as they were placed in, Snow had his hero confidence back in him again. Hero's never run away from a fight and neither would he in this one.

He only hoped that he would have just the time to pull this all off.

* * *

**The race to save the world is on! Now don't think Snow and the gang will save the world and come back in one piece, one must be sacrificed, 'tis be the way of making you wonder if they _will _save the world, then again what would you do if you were mankind's last hope to save the world in less than half an hour and defeat the bad guy? Well I can tell you that I'd shit myself, but good old Snow (being the brainless fool) will do just that. **

**So yeah, that's yer lot for now! Now the next chapter will be a big one that'll be the griping finale to, what will be I think, the first SnowxFang story on here. Wow, you can say that it is a big ass responsibility to do so now, don't you think? Just give me time to do the next part and It'll be good, give you can't wait, make your own SxF story, either chapter or oneshot based, or even better, fanart for me! If you'd like to do so, PM me if you want to. **

**Until then, see you lot in a bit!**


	11. AUTHOR NOTES

**Hello readers of 'Not Alone', now you may of remembered me saying that I need quite a bit for the last chapter of this story due to it's length and whatnot, well, some bad news…don't expect it to be out soon.**

**No it's not like I'm quitting this story or anything, it's just that I have now got a nasty case of 'Writer's Block.' Or yes, that is something we all hate, don't we all? But it's not all doom and gloom though, the chapter itself is now underway and the sequence of how it'll play out has all been thought out well. To add more to the strain, College is getting more hectic for me as it is getting near the end of my time at college (3 weeks at the time of writing.) **

**Now some of you might remember also I have a requested HopexLight fic to put up, well one on their daughter more like, I'm afraid to say that I'm not quite happy with it and it does look like I'll be having to rewrite it or make a completely different one altogether. Though if you ask me, I'm afraid I'm not quite the best for fan-service if your going to ask me for anything, ah well.**

**It doesn't help that I have a 'Warcraft' Fanfic in the works and that it is stuck the queue line due to 'Not Alone' in the way. Which is a big shame as I'm really looking forward to write that one.**

**So I hope (no pun intended there!) that you'll all still be here when I do crank out the final chapter of this story, it will be done this story, as it is one that I _really _to get done. So in the meantime see you hopefully not long away…**


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